San Diego Veterans Magazine February 2022

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Vol. 4 Number 2 • February 2022

SAN DIEGO

MAGAZINE

AVIATOR CALL SIGNS History & Naming Rituals

Closure A Vietnam Story

2022 CAREER

Strategies & Expectations

San Diego

Veteran RESOURCES Arts & Healing

MENTAL HEALTH WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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EDITOR’S

LETTER

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Mike Miller mikemiller@SDVetsMagazine.com mikemiller@HomelandMagazine.com

Contributing Writers Holly Shaffner Veteran Advocate

RanDee McLain, LCSW A Different Lens

Jenny Lynne Stroup Real Talk: Mental Health

Vicki Garcia

Enlisted to Entrepreneur

CJ Machado

SD Vets & Homeland Photojournalist

Kelly Bagla, Esq. Legal Eagle

Tana Landau, Esq. Legally Speaking

www.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com Greetings and a warm welcome to San Diego Veterans Magazine!

Please take some time to get to know the layout of our magazine.

The Magazine focuses on San Diego resources, support, community, and inspiration for our veterans and the military families that keep it together.

Joe Molina

Veterans Chamber of Commerce

Eve Nasby

What’s Next - Transitioning

Amber Robinson Arts & Healing

Eva Stimson Veteran Advocate

Paul Falcone

Our magazine is driven by passion, vision, reflection and the future.

The content is the driving force behind our magazine and the connection it makes with our veterans, service members, military families, and civilians.

Human Resources

The magazine is supported by a distinguishing list of San Diego veteran organizations, resource centers, coalitions, veteran advocates, and more.

San Diego Veterans Magazine 9528 Miramar Road, #41 San Diego, CA 92126

We are honored to share the work of so many committed and thoughtful people.

San Diego Veterans Magazine is a veterans magazine for veterans by veterans.

We appreciate your support and are so happy to have you as a reader of San Diego Veterans Magazine.

Mike Miller Editor-In-Chief

mikemiller@SDVetsMagazine.com mikemiller@HomelandMagazine.com 4

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

David Koontz Midway Magic

(858) 275-4281 Contact us at: publisher@SDVetsMagazine.com San Diego Veterans Magazine is published monthly. Submissions of photographs, Illustrations, drawings, and manuscripts are considered unsolicited materials and the publisher assumes no responsibility for the said items.

All rights reserved.

February

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 6 Inside the Monthly Columns 10 Midway Magic 12 Taking the Fight to Washington 14 Aviator Call Signs 18 Closure: A Vietnam Story 22 Surviving Vietnam 24 Real Talk: Mental Health 2022 26 LENS - Emotions with Transition 28 Tips for a Healthy Heart 30 Arts & Healing: Tribute to Latinx Women 32 Semper Sound: Music Therapy 36 Valentine’s Day 38 Legal Eagle - Love Your Business 40 What’s Next: Paradox of Choice 42 HR - Soft Skills Matter 44 Treating Hearing Loss & Tinnitus 48 Business For Veterans - Financing Growth 50 The Job Market 52 Legally Speaking: Education-Divorce 54 SDVC - Warrior Resource Project “The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.”

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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INSIDE THE MONTHLY COLUMNS San Diego Veterans Magazine features monthly columns & articles on topics of interest for today’s veterans, transitioning military personnel, active military, and the families that keep it together.

• Real Talk: Mental Health • A Different LENS Mental Health Monthly

San Diego Veterans Magazine

• Arts & Healing Arts Arts for Military Veterans • What’s Next Transition to Civilian Life • Human Resources Transition to Business • Business for Veterans • Legal Eagle Legal Business Tips • Legally Speaking Military Family Focused Law • National Veterans Chamber of Commerce Feel free to review & bookmark our supportive & resourceful monthly columns:

---------------------------------------------------------------Real Talk: Mental Health

By Outreach and Clinical experts from the Cohen Clinic at VVSD Deployment, transition, reintegration – as a veteran, service member or military family member, you’ve likely had to face all three. The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD, part of Cohen Veterans Network, provides high-quality, evidence-based mental health care to the military community. Our Mental Health Column provides advice on various topics related to these challenges.

Learn more: www.cohenveteransnetwork.org 6

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

A Different LENS Mental Health Monthly

By Randee McLain, LCSW A Different Lens reflects on RanDee’s personal experiences as former law enforcement, Veteran, military spouse, and clinician. A Different Lens explores all things mental health related and the struggles our veterans and their families may face.

Connect with Randee at www.linkedin.com/in/randee-mclain-lcsw-8335a493 -------------------------------------------------------------Arts & Healing

Arts for Military Veterans

By Amber Robinson Arts & Healing is a reflection of Amber’s personal experiences in healing through the arts as a disabled combat veteran as well as a reflection of our San Diego veteran artists and how they are using art to transform and heal, too.

You can read Amber’s columns at www.tinyurl.com/SDVM-Art

What’s Next

LEGAL EAGLE

Transition to Civilian Life

By Eve Nasby & Kristin Hennessy

Legal tips for Military and Veteran Business Owners

By Kelly Bagla, Esq.

Transitioning from the military into the civilian work world can be anxiety-producing, depressing, and demoralizing without being prepped with the right mindset and tools for success. What’s Next shares stories, insights, tips, and resources from those who have transitioned, so those in the process (or thinking of starting the process) are armed and ready to find rewarding opportunities, ace the interview, and embark on a successful career journey.

Business Formation and Asset Protection Expertise.

An all-inclusive comprehensive overview, of common expensive pitfalls business owners are subjected to, that YOU need to know about. Asset protection musthaves and unparalleled guidance through the Shark infested waters of Business Formation. Kelly Bagla, Esq. is an international award-winning corporate attorney who has been in the business of turning passion projects into profits for more than two decades. Trust an Expert.

You can connect with Eve at

www.linkedin.com/in/eve-nasby-given-hiring-expert/ or eve@bandofhands.com ----------------------------------------------------------------

Contact Kelly at www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-bagla-esq Websites: www.BaglaLaw.com www.GoLegalYourself.com

Human Resources

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Transition to Business

By Paul Falcone

National Veterans Chamber of Commerce

Moving from the military into the private sector isn’t going to be seamless. The transition process can be difficult, particularly because the job search, interview, and onboarding processes are relatively new territory for many veterans. The HR Column offers a unique perspective on hot topics and relevant issues in corporate leadership and management today.

You can connect with Paul at www.linkedin.com/in/paulfalcone1 or via his website at www.PaulFalconeHR.com ----------------------------------------------------------------

By Joseph Molina The National Veterans Chamber (NVCC) helps connect Military/Veterans Community by housing organizations that serve the Veteran Community. We write about Entrepreneurship, Employment, Education, Wellness, Family and Faith.

The NVCC was founded in 2017 with the simple goal of Empowering Individuals and Organizations that offer programs that will have a positive impact on the Veteran Community.

Business for Veterans

You can connect with Joe at josephmolina@nationalveterans.org or visit www.nationalveterans.org

By Barbara Eldridge

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The Business for Veterans column is by Barbara Eldridge who has built a solid reputation as a Success strategies specialist, within industry and business over the past 40 years. Her unique message, since starting Mind Masters 30 years ago for entrepreneurs and small business owners, continually stresses vision, purpose and values as the key elements of business philosophy.

Lean more at www.mindmasters.com -------------------------------------------------------------Legally Speaking Military Family Law

By Tana Landau

SanLegal Experts with Humanity. For more information visit our website: www.frfamilylaw.com or call (858) 720-8250 and ask to speak with military family law attorney Tana Landau.

San Diego Veterans Magazine Current & Past Issues are available at: www.sandiegoveteransmagazine.com/archives/ WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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SAN DIEGO MAYOR TODD GLORIA ANNOUNCES

MILITARY, VETERAN AND FAMILIES ADVISORY COUNCIL As part of his efforts to improve quality of life for all San Diegans, Mayor Todd Gloria is proud to announce the formation of the Military, Veteran and Families Advisory Council with the goal of making San Diego the most welcoming city in the nation for the military, veterans and their families.

As their first formal action, the Council will provide a list of recommendations to the Mayor to help actively support the local military, veterans, and their families.

Made up of eight females and seven males, the group includes representation from each service branch, as well as The advisory council will representatives meet quarterly, review spanning the the City of San Diego’s continuum of those with current policies and lived experiences, procedures and including a transitioning propose new active duty to veteran opportunities for the status representative, City to connect, mobilize veteran small business and empower San owner, a military Diego’s Veteran and spouse, and a veteran military communities, as and military family well as their caregivers. caregiver.

Keshia Javis-Jones

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

Jodie Grenier

Holly Shaffner

Jack Harkins

Dixon Smith

Brittany Fuller

Ashish Yosh Kakkad

Randee McLain

Adam Heyde

Leo Tanaka

Pegah Parsi

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Jim Gruny

Nina Sughrue Hutton

Cinnamon Clark

Shawn VanDiver

Armed Forces Memorial Amphitheater

A Vision for Miramar National Cemetery More than 20,000 veterans and their loved ones are interred at Miramar National Cemetery.

The Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundation holds services in the Flag Assembly Area on Memorial Day weekend and on Veterans Day to honor our veterans.

The Flag Assembly Area has no permanent seating. The Support Foundation plans to build the Armed Forces Memorial Amphitheater with permanent guest seating in a beautifully landscaped setting.

This will be the Support Foundation’s biggest project yet. Its cost—for construction and permanent maintenance—is estimated at $600,000 Contributions from corporations, veterans groups, civic organizations, local government, and the public are needed to make this vision reality at Miramar National Cemetery.

Please Contribute Today!

Make the Vision a Reality

Armed Forces Memorial Amphitheater Any contribution amount counts!

To donate, please go to https://gala.miramarcemetery.org/ and Click on “Donate Now” or by check to Amphitheater Fund, c/o 2500 6th Ave., Unit 803, San Diego, CA 92103 The Support Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are tax deductible.

Tax ID #65-1277308. You will receive an acknowledgment for your contribution.

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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The Aircraft Carrier on its 100th Anniversary is Still America’s Tip of the Spear “When word of a crisis breaks out in Washington, it’s no accident that the first question that comes to everyone’s lips is: Where’s the nearest carrier.”

After several years of research, testing and concept demonstrations, the Navy commissioned the USS Langley (CV-1) in 1922 as the country’s first aircraft carrier. Converted from the coal transport ship USS Jupiter, the Langley arrived at her homeport in San Diego two years later.

- President Bill Clinton, March 12, 1993 In 1890, the renowned American naval historian and strategist, Rear Adm. Alfred Thayer Mahan, wrote “Whoever rules the waves rules the world.” He argued that national prosperity and power depended on control of global sea lanes.

For centuries, the world’s most formidable navies fought to govern the oceans and commerce by building their fleets around large warships with powerful guns. These mighty vessels, fueled originally by wind, then coal, and later oil, were the dominate naval presence on the high seas.

One hundred years ago, however, battlewagon supremacy entered its final chapter when a new and eventually more lethal capital ship entered the picture – the aircraft carrier. Within two decades, the carrier went from being an experimental curiosity to supplanting the battleship as the foundation of U.S. naval task forces.

“Aircraft carriers became the centerpieces of Navy strike groups, away from battleships, because of their power-projection capabilities — firepower, reach and persistence,” said retired Capt. Denny Irelan, the commanding officer of the USS Independence (CV-62) from 1993-1995 and now a volunteer docent at the USS Midway Museum.

The U.S. Navy began exploring the potential of aviation not long after the Wright Brothers first flight.

San Diego was established as the birthplace of naval aviation when Lt. Theodore Ellyson became the first “Navy Air Pilot” while training at North Island in 1911.

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USS Langley (CV-1) World War II ultimately demonstrated the superior capabilities of the aircraft carrier. The Battle of Midway, where U.S. Navy aircraft sunk four of Japan’s fleet carriers, was not only the turning point of the war in the Pacific, but continued the Navy’s move away from the battleship as the fleet’s focal point.

“The Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942 was actually the first Navy vs. Navy at-sea battle where the ships involved never got within sight of one another,” said retired Capt. Gil Rud, also a Midway docent volunteer who commanded the USS Constellation (CV-64) from 1993-1994. “With greater range and flexibility, the carrier was proving to be more efficient than battleships.”

“The ability of naval aircraft to extend power projection over the horizon fueled the shift from battleships and a predominantly visual fight to one where naval forces could engage one another from greater distances,” said Capt. Walt Slaughter, the commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) from 2019-2021. “This shift was proven at the Battle of Midway and the evolution of naval warfare turned the tide of World War II.”

By the end of the war, battleships were relegated to more of a support role.

During the nearly half-century-long Cold War, aircraft carriers continued to be the U.S. military’s “tip of the spear.”

“Carriers provide a spectrum of sustained responses to any trouble spot around the world in just a matter of days, from humanitarian relief to a full military response,” said retired Capt. Larry Ernst, who commanded of the USS Midway (CV-41) from 19911992. “Just having a carrier strike group on scene provides deterrence.”

www.midway.org

“In addition to the carrier’s own self-defense capability, the protection provided by the cruisers, attack submarines, and guided-missile destroyers in the carrier’s strike group is formidable.”

The Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), was commissioned in 2017. With newly designed nuclear reactors, aircraft catapults and arresting gear systems, along with upgraded radar capabilities, the Ford-class carriers are positioned to lead naval aviation for the next five decades.

In the post-Cold War decades, carriers have been instrumental in supporting conflicts in the Middle East as well as more localized engagements around the world. During the Gulf War in 1991, aircraft from the USS Midway flew nearly 3,400 combat sorites over Iraq without suffering a single casualty.

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)

USS Midway (CV-41) With the continued advancement in weapon and warfighting technologies proliferating across the globe, there are those who feel aircraft carriers may be too vulnerable in the future and become increasingly irrelevant. This is not the view held by America’s National Command Authority.

“The claim that carriers are vulnerable makes little sense in relation to a stationary airfield anywhere in the world,” said Rud, who also served as the commanding officer of the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron.

“Aircraft carriers are designed with the inherent adaptability to support advanced technologies such as directed energy and unmanned systems to remain at the cutting-edge of warfighting across a 50-year service life,” said Slaughter, who has more than 4,500 flight hours and 1,100 carrier landings. “The defensive systems aboard carriers will continue to upgrade and evolve, allowing them to maintain superiority on the high seas.”

“Carriers as the centerpiece of a strike group will continue to be an important part of the nation’s warfighting toolbox,” said Ernst, who flew nearly 50 different military aircraft.

USS Midway Museum Volunteer Opportunities Now Available! www.midway.org/give-join/volunteers volunteers@midway.org

www.midway.org/give-join/volunteers

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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“I’m happier with myself. Having been in therapy, period, has helped me be in a better place now.”

Rogelio “Roger” Rodriguez, Jr US Navy (1987 – 1993) US Air Force (1993 – 2013)

PTSD treatment can turn your life around.

For more information visit: https://go.usa.gov/xe9CK

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Aviator Call Signs:

The History & Naming Rituals

By Katie Lange, DOD News

If you’ve been a fully trained military pilot for more than a few months, chances are that you’ve scored yourself a call sign by now. The call sign tradition is celebrated by aviation communities across all military branches. These pilot nicknames can quickly identify an aircraft or individual, and they also help to confuse the enemy, who might be listening in on your communications.

According to several historians, a lot of individual aviators in the early days of flight had nicknames, too, but they weren’t classified as call signs – they were generally given early in a pilot’s career and revolved around his physical traits, personality or something pop culture-related. For example, when nicknaming

Nowadays, call sign naming rituals for fighter, bomber and other pilots are a pretty formal process amongst the services, which will be detailed later in this article.

But those rituals developed slowly over time, and the origins of the tradition are a bit murky. Several military historians were interviewed for this story, and no one could definitively say how pilot call signs got their start.

An Unclear Origin Some historians believe aircraft call signs were first used when radio became a commodity around 1930.

As radio communications grew in prominence into World War II, so did call signs for planes, ships and occasionally geographic points, said National Naval Aviation Museum historian Hill Goodspeed. He said aircraft call signs became common in the 1970s because they were short and added an extra level of identification, “particularly during times of intense, fast-paced operations.”

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Photo By: Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Lee The Columbine II, a Lockheed Constellation, was the first aircraft to bear the call sign “Air Force One” and flew the 34th president, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, from 1953 to 1954. The aircraft, officially retired in 1968, was named by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower after the state flower of Colorado, which is painted on the nose of the aircraft.

became popular during World War II, Army Brig. Gen. David Lee Hill was from Texas, so his nickname was “Tex.” Marine Corps Col. Gergory Boyington was nearly a decade older than the men serving in his command, so he was known as “Pappy.”

Some historians say that pilot call signs may have originated from ground controllers wanting a quick way to reference those aviators over the radio, but that’s still hearsay.

Call signs were sometimes even given to the enemy.

Air Force Academy historian Brian Laslie said one famous case was that of World War I German ace Manfred von Richthofen, who painted his fighter aircraft red. His nickname in German was “Der Rote Kampfflieger” — a mouthful for any English-speaking pilot — so he was known to Americans by its loose translation, “The Red Baron.”

Like aircraft, call signs for pilots became more widespread by Vietnam; however, official naming ceremonies for them weren’t institutionalized until the 1980s, National Air and Space Museum curator Michael Hankins said.

Current Naming Rituals While naming rituals vary from service to service and squadron to squadron, a lot of the main components of the process are the same throughout the aviation community, no matter the branch.

Most current call signs are still based on the same sources as in the early days of aviation — a derivative of a last name, physical features, personalities or pop culture. Air Force Lt. Col. Keith Anderson said some call signs are intentional misspellings of common words to create an acronym referencing a story about the pilot. According to Anderson and Navy Cmdr. Chris Papaioanu, most are based on the pilot screwing something up.

“The skipper’s there to veto it just in case it’s crossing any lines or getting too aggressive,” said Navy Cmdr.

Michael Patterson.

“I have seen a number of call signs get rejected for a number of reasons — it wasn’t funny enough, it wasn’t silly enough, it went from the PG-13 range and beyond and it kind of needed to be toned down a little bit,” said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Christopher Demars.

If a rejection happens, usually there are backup names at the ready.

What’s In a Name?

“Everybody wants something that sounds awesome, that sounds cool. But it’s just never going to work out that way,” said Demars, whose call sign “Ollie” came from embellished stories he told that reminded his squadron of the old military history TV program “War Stories with Oliver North.”

Call signs can be embarrassing for the pilot, which many aviators said helps build a humility-based culture. For example, Patterson said he knows a few guys with the call sign “BamBam,” likely because they blew out their aircraft’s tires when they forgot to take off their parking brake as they launched from their aircraft carrier’s catapult.

My call sign is Cage,” Anderson explained. “A heatseeking missile has a seeker on the front that must be ‘uncaged’ in order to follow the heat source before the missile can be fired. The button to make this happen is on the control stick, but I have cartoonishly small hands and I can’t reach that button, so I’m ‘Cage’ because I can never ‘uncage.’”

“Quite often, a call sign will be based on a retelling of a mistake a young pilot made, with the rule being that the story has to be at least 10% true,” Anderson said.

Across the branches, most pilots earn their call signs at their first operational squadron as a junior officer, if they didn’t receive one earlier. A few call sign ideas are usually thrown around within a squadron before a pilot’s peers vote on their favorite. That name is then approved by the squadron’s commanding officer.

Photo By: Navy Seaman Gray Gibson Sailors check a catapult for debris on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan during flight operations in the Arabian Sea, June 27, 2021.

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Regardless of the story behind the name, it’s all good-natured.

“There’s supposed to be an aspect of fun in it,” Demars said.

No matter how a call sign came about, they all come with a sense of pride. Not only are they useful for communications and identification purposes, but they can also be a term of endearment, a rite of passage and a way of bonding an aircrew together.

While the Army doesn’t have fixed-wing aircraft, its helicopter pilots also have call signs.

“When we make pilot in command, we get a choice of our local call sign,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle Pearl, a Black Hawk pilot with the Idaho Army National Guard. “Some of our guys have other call signs like nicknames that you typically see in the Air Force and Navy.”

Changes Are Rare Another general naming practice: while more than one pilot can have the same call sign, it’s rare to be renamed.

“Unless you’ve really done something to highlight yourself after you’ve been given a call sign, typically it will stay the same,” Papaioanu said.

Photo By: Army Sgt. Agustin Montanez

Anderson said that, at least in the Air Force, there’s one exception: if a pilot has flown a combat mission with their call sign, it can never be changed.

Army Warrant Officer Adaliz Pagan, with Puerto Rico Army National Guard Aviation, performs a preflight inspection on the UH-60 helicopter before departing to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Aug. 27, 2021.

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Closure After 50 Years: A Vietnam War Story

By David Koontz It was another sultry hot and humid day at Udorn Air Base in Thailand. U.S. Air Force Maj. Roy Knight Jr. climbed into his A-1E Skyraider attack aircraft for a combat mission along the Ho Chi Minh trail. As he had done many times, Sgt. Dick Witvoet helped him strap into the cockpit, gave him his two canteens of frozen water, and told him to come back safely.

After Witvoet rendered the traditional salute, the young Air Force pilot taxied for takeoff and a few minutes later disappeared with his wingman over the lush-green rolling hills.

He never came back.

On May 19, 1967, Maj. Roy Knight Jr. was listed as Missing in Action.

“It broke my heart not knowing if Maj. Knight had been captured by the North Vietnamese or killed in action,” said Witvoet, a crew chief with the 602nd Fighter Squadron. “It’s real hard to handle when something like this happens to someone you feel a certain responsibility for and expect to see them when they return.”

Maj. Knight’s Skyraider was shot down over Laos. His loss hit the entire squadron hard. Witvoet remembered that he had a caring personality that endeared him to the enlisted personnel in the squadron.

“He was just an all-around nice guy who took the time to talk to the airmen,” said Witvoet, a 1964 graduate from Kelloggsville High School in Wyoming, Mich. “Not all of the officers were like that. He always appreciated what we did – which was to make a difference in what he did – and he treated us with respect.”

Witvoet left the Air Force in 1969 and returned to Michigan to work in the family business, but he never forgot Maj. Knight.

Sgt. Dick Witvoet refuels an A-1E Skyraider at Udorn Air Base in Thailand during the Vietnam War. 18

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“I thought about him almost every day,” said the 75-year-old Witvoet. “It was just like unfinished business that really ate at me. And I could only imagine how his family must have agonized over the unknown.”

Roy Knight III was only 10 years old when he said the last goodbye to his dad and had just celebrated his 11th birthday when he was shot down. The loss of his father was horrific.

“The impact was quite significant and by the time I was 13 or 14, I was a pretty angry and unhappy young man headed way down the wrong path,” said Knight, who was born in Fukuoka, Japan. “My mother gave me military school as an option and I seized it. The next three years helped form me as some very great men, old warriors, took over for my dad and really helped me.”

For both men, decades would pass without knowing what ultimately happened to a friend and father.

“The American POWs were finally released from Hanoi in 1973,” remembered Witvoet. “I was home watching TV as the plane landed in California. I was hoping to see Maj. Knight coming off the flight, but he wasn’t there. My heart sunk. It was like losing a close friend. I still had a feeling of despair.”

Over the course of the next 40 years, Knight would be in routine contact with various the Department of Defense agencies tasked with finding and identifying those missing or killed in action during the Vietnam War. “While we didn’t know early on if dad had made it out of the airplane, after many years I came to the conclusion that he perished in the crash,” said Knight, a 65-year-old marketing executive with a Californiabased cookie company. “This conclusion was further bolstered by artifacts that were recovered by crash site excavations.”

The breakthrough finally came more than five decades later in 2019.

“The recovery was made in February and March,” said Knight, who lives in Valley Center, Calif., just north of San Diego. “It took about two months for the scientists to make the identification. They are very careful to do this completely so there was never any doubt. We got the word at the end of May.”

It was another sultry hot and humid day at Udorn Air Base in Thailand. U.S. Air Force Maj. Roy Knight Jr. climbed into his A-1E Skyraider attack aircraft for a combat mission along the Ho Chi Minh trail. As he had done many times, Sgt. Dick Witvoet helped him strap into the cockpit, gave him his two canteens of frozen water, and told him to come back safely.

He never came back.

For Knight and his family, it had been a roller coaster ride that lasted decades, and when it was confirmed that his dad’s remains had been positively identified, his feelings were all over the map.

“When I did get the word, I experienced a strange dichotomy of emotions,” said Knight, a graduate of La Sierra University who is also a civilian pilot. “Yes, it was good news, but it was also heartbreaking as I relived some leftover childhood grief. Going back through all of the gut-wrenching pain of those days.”

For Witvoet, word of Maj. Knight’s identification came like a bolt out of the blue.

“My wife saw a story on Facebook about a Col. Knight from the 602nd Fighter Squadron,” said Witvoet, who lives in Bryon Center, Mich. “She read the account about his remains finally being found in the dense jungle of Laos and he was being returned to his family.”

At first, Witvoet wasn’t sure if this was the Roy Knight he knew because his rank had changed.

Was it possible that he had been promoted to colonel posthumously? Taking a chance, he posted a condolence note. Within an hour, he received an email from Roy Knight III. “I was absolutely shocked and elated that he connected with me,” said Witvoet, who spent a year stationed in Thailand during war. “We had several conversations and it was so easy to talk to him about what my role was and how I had interacted with his dad that day.”

“I was so thrilled and happy to talk to him,” said Knight once he connected with Witvoet. “I wanted to know everything he could remember about dad and that day. I wanted to know him. He talked about how much he liked dad and how he was different from the other officers.”

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Welcome Aboard!

NOW OPEN C L E A R E D F O R TA K E O F F

Volunteer Opportunities Now Available! www.midway.org/give-join/volunteers volunteers@midway.org

910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 544-9600 • www.midway.org

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It was clear to both men, that they needed to meet in person. Witvoet and his wife flew from Michigan to San Diego just before Christmas.

“It was just wonderful to finally meet him,” said Witvoet with a smile. “It seemed to bring everything full circle, meeting the colonel’s son after so many years.”

“What a wonderful man,” said Knight, who has been flying search and counter-drug missions with the California Civil Air Patrol since 1988. “We clicked at a very fundamental level. I am so grateful that we got to know one another, aside from the connection with my dad, we are friends for life.”

To help make their meeting complete, both men and their wives visited the USS Midway Museum.

One of the restored military aircraft displayed on the flight deck is an A-1 Skyraider, the same aircraft Knight’s dad flew during the war.

“That was the first time I had seen the Skyraider since I left Udorn,” said Witvoet, who retired from the family business in 2006. “It was just spectacular.

I knew that Col. Knight had flown the Skyraider himself. It did a lot to heal the memory that I had carried for so long. It also gave me immense relief and closure, and I was so happy for his family.”

“I found myself getting very emotional with him at the Skyraider,” said Knight. “Here was this guy remembering things he hadn’t had the opportunity to remember as he touched a Skyraider for the first time since his days in Thailand.

“Watching the old warrior touch that airplane that he worked on so hard and invested so much of himself in was simply wonderful and I felt very privileged to be there. It was highly personal and I saw that in Dick on the deck of the Midway. Dad was his pilot and the Skyraider was his airplane – and they didn’t make it back.”

After more than 52 years, Col. Roy Knight Jr. was finally able to come home. He was buried in a small community cemetery in Cool, Texas with his brothers, sister, mother and father on Aug. 10, 2019.

“Every May 19th, Roy and I will raise a bottle of beer to salute his dad’s last flight,” said Witvoet.

Dick Witvoet and Roy Knight III meet in front of the A-1 Skyraider on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum.

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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Surviving 13 Months in Vietnam

San Diego Veterans Magazine recently had an opportunity to visit with Bill Taylor, author of On Full Automatic: Surviving 13 Months in Vietnam. In this epic and largely untold story, Taylor reveals his personal story of an eighteen-year-old Marine recruit who ages a lifetime in a little more than a year and who is transformed into an experienced, hard fighting grunt while struggling to survive his time in the Vietnam War.

Homeland: You do a great job of showing vs. telling the reader what happened in Vietnam.

How did you remember everything so vividly over 50 years later?

SDVM: At what point did you realize you needed to write a book about your time in Vietnam?

Taylor: My notes really helped. And rewriting helped.

I was also able to put the battles together with letters I had written home to my dad that he saved. My medical records listed when and where I was wounded, my treatment etc. I also obtained the battalion record to explain all the different locations our troops were in.

At the time, I may have known the name of where we were going, but the record allows me to see on a map where we were and the different cities we traveled through.

Taylor: After Vietnam, I always knew I had this incredible story to tell, I just had a difficult time sharing it. As a child, I remember asking my dad about his experiences fighting in WWII and he just never wanted to talk about it. As a Veteran myself, I finally understood how hard it is to talk about. But when my children started asking, I started talking about it, even though I really didn’t want to.

That’s when I started to visualize the stories on paper, over thirty years ago. I realized I needed to write a book someday. Whenever I’d remember a particular story or experience from Vietnam, I would write them down and put them in an envelope. After years of doing this, I had accumulated this unbelievable package of stories for my book. And I had basically told so many people I was going to write a book, that I was kind of embarrassed not to at that point.

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SDVM: How did you obtain the official records?

Taylor: It’s not that hard, you have to be a detective.

And you had to talk to people. I actually found the guy that had maps of the areas at the time, including information on where all the different battalions and companies were. I was able to put together all kinds of great information.

You can go to the Vietnam War Memorial Wall and find stories and pictures. There’s websites out there with pictures of every single person on the wall. There’s websites out there with pictures of every single person on the wall. It’s amazing the history and resources you can find on the internet today, just by looking.

SDVM: How has talking with other veterans helped you write the book?

I’ve been attending the Third Marine Division reunions for the past ten years, which really helped me tell the whole story behind particular battles. Because guys were constantly coming and going during my thirteen months in Vietnam, there were thousands of soldiers in my unit. The reunions have given me a chance to talk to different guys and hear their side of the story, because everyone has a unique story and it helped make battle scenes well-rounded in my book, really transporting the reader.

SDVM: What kinds of feedback have you received from readers?

It’s amazing how many veterans contact me almost on a daily basis. People from all walks of life. Family members also call me. I even had a woman who was a Vietnam War protester in the 1960’s ask me for forgiveness. She didn’t realize what we went through.

I shed a million tears writing this book, probably more.

But it’s been a healing process for me. I’m just so honored to tell my story and the stories of the men I fought with. And that the book has touched so many people.

For example, in the book when we’re sweeping into a village, all of a sudden there’s an explosion to my right. Personally, I saw the explosion and guys flying in different directions. And in the original manuscript, that’s what I shared. But later, I actually met one of the guys that was wounded and he told me everything that happened when they walked up, when the bomb went off, how he was blown back and even what he was feeling in his ears.

Bill Taylor, author of On Full Automatic: Surviving 13 Months in Vietnam served in the First Battalion, Third Marine Regiment in Vietnam for 13 months in 1967 and 1968. He has spoken for Veterans Organizations and to local schools about the Vietnam War. He currently belongs to the VFW, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled American Veterans, Third Marine Division Association, and the Marine Corp League. He has been a Chapter Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. www.williamvtaylor.com www.amazon.com/dp/1736621602/

(Photo’s by Bruce Axelrod & Ed Kalwara) WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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Real Talk: Mental Health

By Shari Finney, Regional Clinic Director, The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) www.vvsd.net/cohenclinicsandiego

2022 The Current State of Mental Health What is our nation’s current mental health issue?

There isn’t an easy answer to this question.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, political polarization, inflation and more has manifested itself differently in everyone, but make no mistake, it takes a toll.

In clinical language, it presents primarily as depression and generalized anxiety. Symptoms like sadness, sluggishness, irritability, anxiety, and a feeling of being overwhelmed and “stressed out” are all feelings many of us have experienced over the last year.

In general, many thought that the vaccine for COVID-19 was going to make this year better, and that perhaps life might get back to more like it was.

But, because that is not the case, there is now a corresponding sense of fear and frustration, as well as the anxiety that comes from not knowing what might be coming next. The sense of “impending doom” weighs on our communities. Military families are feeling the strain of added uncertainties to already unpredictable circumstances. As frequent newcomers to a community, they find it difficult to plug in to local resources because their usual methods of connecting with the community are limited due to COVID-19 concerns and restrictions.

This can increase isolation and depressive or anxious symptoms.

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Let’s not forget about mental health providers, who are living through the exact challenges faced by their clients. Much like an oncologist with cancer, mental health workers are not only living with the same uncertainty and risks of their clients, but they are also dealing with a sharp uptake in people seeking services who are in crisis. Yet and still, they provide a muchneeded service to a large population of people being impacted by the pandemic.

We’re all in this together. Although it may seem like there is nowhere to turn, there are actually many ways to cope with today’s mental challenges.

Here are some recommendations: • Find tools online. To support veteran and military families in this challenging time, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), with assistance from Blue Star Families, created an educational course: “Tools for Managing Stress and Worry.” This free course consists of brief, easy-to-use strategies to help military families reduce stress and worry in their lives. Learn more: www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/toolsforstress • Download an app! There are many to choose from, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ COVID Coach. Other apps, like Calm, are also a great mental health resource.

• Set a routine. As many people are back to or still working from home, a routine can be helpful in keeping yourself organized and on a schedule that works best for you. That is one thing you can rely on while things around you may be out of your control.

• Watch how you talk to yourself. Anxious and hopeless thoughts can happen but try to replace them with the opposite directly after you think it. Be kind to yourself.

• Get outside and away from a screen. Staying in front of your computer screen or your television screen can be tough on your eyes and your overall wellbeing. Try to take a break every 2-3 hours and get some fresh air.

• Move your body! Yoga, walks, stretching or other forms of exercise are great ways to get moving. This lessens depression and anxiety, while also increasing physical health. It is a win-win!

• Seek help. Mental health providers like Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics throughout the country are available to provide therapy for the military community. Stigma around mental health will decrease as more people seek help and talk about it.

In a way, the pandemic normalized seeking mental health care.

• Make connections. Get in touch with one person every day, if possible. Isolation leads to increased symptoms.

One positive take-away from the challenges our world faces today is the use of telehealth. I am so excited that people are embracing face-to-face video therapy, like CVN Telehealth, to receive mental health services.

This use of technology means that almost everyone can seek treatment, and it also goes a long way to reduce the stigma of seeking treatment in general.

Additionally, parents and caregivers who find effective treatment, model that healthy behavior for the next generation.

Staying on that note of positivity, I am very excited that CVN is now serving active-duty service members nationwide, in addition to the services provided to post-9/11 veterans and military families! I love that we can fill in the gaps and help reduce wait times for mental health care for those who are serving.

We are pleased to announce that our Cohen Clinic at Veterans Village of San Diego is expanding in southern California by opening two additional clinics in Oceanside and Los Angeles later this year. In addition to providing care to those within reach of the Oceanside and Los Angeles locations, the new Cohen Clinics will also offer telehealth services state-wide to more than 655,000 potential clients.

There is hope for the future if we continue to come together to move forward. www.vvsd.net/cohenclinicsandiego The Cohen Clinic at VVSD is one of 19 mental health clinics nationwide under nonprofit Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) which focuses on providing targeted treatments for a variety of mental health challenges facing post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and military families, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, transition challenges, and more.

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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A Different Lens Mental Health Monthly

By RanDee McLain, LCSW

Rollercoaster of emotions with military transition In the US we have military service members moving and PCS’ing every day. I have been the service member that deployed and left my family behind. I have also been the one left behind. I will always say for me personally it was harder as a spouse. In the service there was a lot of unknows, but I knew what the mission was and what was expected of me. As the spouse left behind, we have to maintain the home, children, work, school and all other daily life activities in addition to the stress of having a loved one away and potential in dangerous situations.

Both roles can be challenging, and it is important that we take care of ourselves and understand that it is normal to feel a wide range of emotions during this time.

In true transparency this is something I am struggling with myself. Even as someone who has worked in the military and veteran community for most of my adult life it never gets easier. My other/better half is about to leave for overseas unaccompanied orders. I know all the things people say to do during this time. I have a indepth understanding of the deployment cycle and the emotions that come with it. I have been here before……but what is that saying, do as I say not as I do? It is much easier to coach other families to take care of themselves and normalize the emotions than it is to face them myself.

Communicate

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There are a lot of great resources that I will list below that can give you tools to help during this time.

I would like to share what I have learned from both sides and what steps I am taking now to assist in my own transition.

The stress and anxiety can come as early as when you first get orders. I know for us there was so many unknowns- and still is. There was how long, accompanied/unaccompanied…ohhh wait another country?

I have my career and life here …do I go? Do I stay and continue the career path I am currently on?

Unlike a deployment, there is no guarantee we will end up here after this move. Again, there are so many unknows that is when the stress and anxiety start to creep in.

Many military couples start to see their service member seem somewhat detached or removed before a big deployment or move. Their focus can shift to what’s next and preparing for that. This is really a time to communicate and share how you are feeling and how it is impacting you.

A few take aways I have for any type of extended military separation.

Be Intentional

2021

GOALS www.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com

Transitioning out of the Military into the Civilian Workforce?

Communicate: Communicate with your partner on a regular basis (as able). Sometimes, that is not reality and you are unable to talk for periods of time but do your best to talk, email, text, video chat….whatever means works for you and your family.

Be intentional. I personally do not like talking on the phone. I do it all day for work and it is not my preferred form of communication after hours. I must be very intentional in carving out time and making it a priority to talk/ be on the phone during this time to support healthy communication.

Realize you can only control so much and be flexible to changes that may come. As they say…..Semper Gumby.

Lastly, as I mention so often. Take care of yourself.

Be intentional in self-care and reach out to supports as needed.

Military One Source is a great resource to keep handy if you are needing additional resources during this time. www.militaryonesource.mil/

Finding a job in the civilian world may seem easy at first. After all, you have learned skills, practiced leadership and demonstrated initiative that will make you successful wherever you go.

The reality, though, is that it can be difficult. In fact, it can be downright depressing, demotivating and you may feel totally disillusioned.

Veterans In Transition is dedicated to you and to helping you succeed in your transition.

For editorial & monthly columns regarding transitioning to business, career advice, tips, workshops, transition to education, entrepreneurship, straight-forward legal tips for military and veteran business owners and more, visit > www.tinyurl.com/Veterans-In-Transition

VETERANS IN TRANSITION

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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Three Self-Care Tips for a Healthy Heart

By Krissty Andaur, Wounded Warrior Project At Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), wellness coaches with the Physical Health and Wellness team make it their mission to offer plans and programs for injured veterans to maintain a healthy heart.

WWP is kickstarting American Heart Month with helpful self-care tips to incorporate into everyday life.

It’s no secret that the cornerstone organ of the human body, the heart, requires some attention. While it may seem like a daunting task, incorporating these daily actions a little bit at a time can help improve heart health and support overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

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“Wellness is 360 degrees of self-care,” said Antonio Bonfiglio, a WWP Physical Health and Wellness coach “There’s a physical, mental, and emotional side, and overall wellness is what you get from taking care of all three. It’s essentially the byproduct of exercising, eating better, sleeping more, and taking care of your mental health.”

Here are three self-care tips for maintaining a healthy heart: 1. Stress Management – When stress arises, our body releases chemicals that send signals to the rest of our body, affecting our mood, sleep, and appetite. When stressed, some people may turn to comfort foods, smoking, or alcohol, all of which can be heart-damaging behaviors. Instead, acknowledge when stress is present and lean on healthier heart options to help reduce your stress like meditation, yoga, reading, or even completely unplugging from technology for a bit. All of these can help relax the mind and body, helping your heart in the long run.

2. Home Cooking – Your heart and nutrition are directly linked. The best way to limit sodium and unhealthy fats is to cook food yourself. That way you to know what you are putting into your body and can control how much, helping your overall heart health. Without extra fat, sugar, or salt, a balanced diet allows your body to run efficiently and keeps your arteries and heart clear. When cooking, keep these in mind: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

3. Walk Often – Walking is generally easy to do and, when you think about it, we’ve been doing it for most of our lives. Walking, or any form of exercise, reduces cardiac risk factors like blood pressure, obesity, and cholesterol, which directly affect your overall heart health. If you can walk, go out and do it. Then try to walk a little bit further each time. If you can’t, try and get some fresh air when possible.

Aim for at least 30 minutes outdoors every day. A little bit of vitamin D goes a long way for the mind, body, and soul.

The Physical Health and Wellness program emphasizes that the best tip is to simply start – don’t allow excuses to get in the way. Whether you have five minutes or 30 minutes, do something more today than you did yesterday. Commit yourself and have the discipline to not only start today but tomorrow and the next day and so on, until you gain the momentum to keep going.

“Remember to celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small, and encourage others to join you on your health journey,” says Antonio.

If you’re a registered warrior or family support member, join the #WWPFit movement – a campaign to empower warriors to make long-term changes toward a healthier life through movement, nutritional education, coaching, goal setting, and skill-building.

Visit the WWP Live Facebook page or use the hashtag #WWPFit to connect and engage online.

Learn more: www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ programs/physical-health-wellness.

About Wounded Warrior Project Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more: https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org.

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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Arts & Healing Arts & Healing Arts for Military Veterans Arts for Military Veterans

By Amber Robinson

By Amber Robinson

Unique, multi-room performance pays tribute to the Latinx women of World War II Some 500,000 Latinx immigrants served in World War II. For many of these new citizens it was the first time they felt like they really belonged and felt American.

In fact, Mexican immigrants were a large support during the war, their actions helping the U.S. and their allies toward victory. It was a source of great pride for latinos but, Latina’s who also contributed greatly to the war effort.

This month, TuYo Theatre will present a very unique play about some of these latinas, their heritage and service to the war effort. “On Her Shoulders We Stand” will debut at the Bread & Salt Gallery in Barrio Logan on Feb. 6. It will spotlight latinas in varying roles as they find purpose and identity through their contributions to World War II. Whether as a nurse or a mechanic, WWII gave latina women new opportunities.

“WWII was this pocket of time where a latina could change the definition of who they could be,” said Dr. Maria Patrice Amon, who wrote the play.

She says before the war, representation of Mexican mothers was dismal. It was said they had too many kids, they were bad mothers.

“But, during the war that narrative changed to ‘Mexican mothers have so much to give.,” said Amon.

Amon, who has produced other shows at TuYo and is the Associate Artistic Director and Latinx Projects Producer at San Diego Repertory Theatre, said the play was inspired by her grandmother.

“My gramma was a tiny little mexican woman and one day in conversation she just nonchalantly mentioned that she was a riveter!,” said Amon.

Amon says she couldn’t imagine her “tiny gramma” working on those giant engines. From there Amon began to research the lives of other women like her Mexican grandmother. The women in her play are based on actual people.

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What makes the play especially unique, though, is the way it is set up for viewing.

“In a normal play, the audience sits and the actors come to them to perform, but in this play, the audience goes to the actors,” said Amon.

Confused? What that means is for “On Her Shoulders We Stand” audience members will be ushered into a series of seven rooms, one after the other, each containing a different scene of the play. Audiences will rotate through the rooms in small groups ranging from one to four people. The last room of the play will be a gallery of artwork by San Diego women veteran artists inspired by the Latina women of the play and of the era.

Audience members will be in much closer proximity to the actors, but in much lesser numbers, making patrons feel like a part of the scene around them.

Amon says there is one message she wishes her characters to share with audiences.

“I hope they share a message of presence,” said Amon. “Our history, our contributions to war are so much wider than most know.”

The mission of TuYo Theatre is to create and produce theatre in the San Diego area that tells stories from and by diverse Latinx perspectives.

To learn more about TuYo and get tickets for their upcoming show go to www.tuyotheatre.org. Note to readers: I am proud to have three pieces of work in the gallery of this show.

On Her Shoulders We Stand

GET INVOLVED

Feb. 6–26, 2022

TuYo is always looking for like-minded people to join our organization. Let us know how you would like to get involved and we will get in touch soon!

Written and directed by Patrice Amon

www.tuyotheatre.org/get-involved

Get Tickets

www.eventbrite.com/e/on-her-shoulders-tickets-229596789177 For more info, contact info@tuyotheatre.org WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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Semper Sound: Military Music Therapy Program

By Stacey Sargent

“I struggle to do what makes me happy but playing with that song makes me feel pure joy and makes me want to live.”

– Semper Sound Participant The world today can be a stressful place for anyone, and for service members and veterans experiencing challenges such as post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury, that stress can create barriers to fully experiencing life. Military participants, specifically, need ways to process a ‘new normal’ if medically separated or disabled. Activities such as bonding with family and navigating civilian life can become tasks that feel too difficult to manage when symptoms arise, and the results of these experiences can lead to hopelessness and isolation.

However, thanks to the support of the community, those living in San Diego County have a respite from what can sometimes feel like a bombardment of stressors. Resounding Joy, which began as a team of volunteers offering music therapy-informed supportive experiences for socially-isolated seniors, has grown to include Semper Sound.

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Semper Sound is Resounding Joy’s program for military service members, veterans, and their families who need resilience and self-efficacy, a safe space to practice decision-making, and permission to express emotions and experiences.

Semper Sound offers music therapy led by trauma-informed Board-Certified music therapists (MT-BC), who serve as coaches, teachers, and guides for participants.

The team strives to transform the health and well-being of San Diego County by employing music as a therapeutic medium to effectively address physical, emotional, social, and cognitive goals. Music’s unique ability to target and navigate damaged areas of the brain and transcend verbal communication makes it a powerful tool when in the hands of a qualified professional.

Resounding Joy provides clinical, evidence-based therapy through partnerships with other agencies, such as the San Diego Department of Veteran Affairs, their Spinal Cord Injury Unit, and various drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. On the community side, the organization offers Semper Sound Drums It Out and the Semper Sound Band Rehearsals, two of the weekly programs available to service members, veterans, and their families.

Imagine the feeling of sitting in a drum circle, or rehearsing or performing in a band, with others who have experienced similar challenges in their lives. Bensimon et al. (2008) notes that, although trauma can isolate and disconnect individuals from society, musical activities such as group drumming can restore social relationships by fostering feelings of belonging. Traumatic memories and evoked emotions can be managed through group improvisation while promoting a sense of relief and empowerment.

Semper Sound, in both clinical and community settings, offers a spectrum of music engagement activities and opportunities, from songwriting workshops to one-on-one music therapy sessions at no cost or sliding scale fees. Participants benefit from stress reduction, resiliency, emotional expression, self-help strategies, family bonding, tools for navigating civilian life, and symptom management for those with compounding challenges.

Music therapy through Semper Sound is accessible to those with physical challenges as well. For example, when learning guitar, a participant with physical disabilities can explore modified guitar picks and a variety of devices (including a foot pedal that holds chords) until they find an accommodation they like.

The team also has experience in supporting deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals with music making.

The education of the music therapists ensures that Semper Sound conducts trauma-informed activities with a facilitator who is trained to recognize signs of overstimulation, dissociation, and other symptoms of posttraumatic stress or brain injury.

Resounding Joy enhances the human experience through the therapeutic use of music, improving the health, well-being, and quality of life of military service members, veterans, and their families.

To quote a Semper Sound participant, “Music therapy has greatly helped me. It is relaxing and therapeutic on many levels… I can focus on the music which allows me to not think of my physical and psychological issues.”

Experiencing feelings of hopelessness and isolation as the results of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, or other challenges faced by members of the military can cause someone to feel alone. With the help of Semper Sound, people can come together from the difficulties they face and make something beautiful.

Military participants, specifically, need ways to process a ‘new normal’ if medically separated or disabled, and creative arts and music engagement programs that can accommodate all their symptoms and disabilities are the perfect assist. Music therapy can enhance social integration and quality of life for military populations, increase patient motivation and participation in interdisciplinary care, assist treatment processes from clinic to community, and provide a platform to prevent social isolation by promoting community integration through music performance (Vaudreuil, R., et al., 2018).

Resounding Joy https://resoundingjoyinc.org/ Donate to Resounding Joy https://resoundingjoyinc.org/donate/ Music Therapy for Service Member and Veteran Rehabilitation https://resoundingjoyinc.org/semper-sound/ WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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www.Courage2Call.org Career Resources Available Now Hiring Management and Direct Service Positions - www.mhsinc.org/career-resources 34

WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

Back to Better: Mental Health Care for Veterans, Service Members, & their Families

Cohen Clinics provide therapy for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and transitional issues for post-9/11 veterans, service members, and military families, including National Guard / Reserves.

CVN Telehealth, face-to-face video therapy available.

Support the Cohen Clinic Your donations help provide high-quality mental health care to veterans, service members, their families.

Make a gift today: vvsd.net/cohenclinicsandiego WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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Valentine’s Day Impress your Valentine’s Day sweetie with an encyclopedic knowledge of the facts surrounding this quintessential day of love that’s been around since Roman times.

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Dying for Love

Theories abound on the origin of Valentine’s Day, but the most popular dates back to 270 A.D and the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II. Seems Claudius didn’t want men marrying during wartime because he believed single men fought better. Bishop Valentine took exception and performed secret nuptials anyway.

Claudius found out, jailed Valentine and had him executed on Feb. 14. From jail the holy man wrote a love letter and signed it “From your Valentine” and greeting card industry cheered.

First Speed Dating

In the Middle Ages, young men and women picked names out of a box to see who would be their Valentine. Then they would wear the names pinned to their sleeves for a week. This lead to the expression “to wear your heart on your sleeve.”

The Chocolate Connection

Doctors in the 1800s routinely advised patients pining for lost love to eat chocolate to calm themselves. Later in the century Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Today, no fewer than 35 million boxes of chocolate are sold each Valentine’s Day. More than $1 billion in chocolate is bought in the United States alone.

Not just a U.S. Holiday

Besides the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark and Italy.

Japan’s Take

Valentine’s Day was introduced here in 1936 and quickly became popular – with a twist. Because of a translation error, women buy men chocolates on this day to show interest. The men return the favor, if so inclined, on White Day, March 14.

It’s a Good Day for the Roses

Valentine’s Day – along with Christmas and Mothers Day – is huge day for florists. This single day generates sales of $14.7 billion, which is greater than the gross domestic product of several countries.

An estimated 189 million flowers are sold in the United States this day of which about 110 million are roses.

Feb. 14 in History ….

Capt. James Cook killed by natives in Hawaii (1779), Oregon and Arizona admitted to the Union (1859 and 1912, respectively), James Polk becomes first president photographed in office (1848), United Parcel Service formed (1919), the League of Women Voters established (1920), Aretha Franklin recorded “Respect” (1967), Richard Nixon installed a secret taping system in the White House (1971) and Voyager I photographs entire solar system (1990) WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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legal Eagle Straight-forward legal tips for Military and Veteran Business Owners

By Kelly Bagla, Esq.

FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR BUSINESS

INCORPORATE YOUR BUSINESS Forming a corporation is an essential step to protect your personal assets from any liabilities of the company. Each business structure has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your specific circumstances.

GET A FEDERAL TAX ID NUMBER To distinguish your business as a separate legal entity, you will need to obtain a Federal Tax Identification Number, also referred to as an Employer Identification Number (EIN). The EIN is issued by the IRS and acts as a social security number for your business. This number will identify your business with the IRS and your clients.

W

ith each new year, entrepreneurs look to turn their vision into a business. These startups are often overflowing with tremendous ideas, energy and optimism, but don’t always have a roadmap for the legal aspects involved in starting a business. In the flurry of drumming up new customers, getting ready for a website launch and building the first prototype, it’s all too easy to put off some of the less glamorous, more administrative aspects of running a company.

Company filings and regulations are not the most exciting parts of your startup, yet they are critical to the health of your business and personal finances.

Here’s a list of administrative aspects you need to consider for your startup or small business: PICK A NAME – MAKE SURE YOU ARE LEGALLY PERMITTED TO USE IT Before you start printing our business cards, make sure the great new name you thought of is not infringing on the rights of an already existing business. Start with a simple google search, conduct a free trademark search and then conduct a search with the Secretary of State.

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OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT TO START BUILDING BUSINESS CREDIT When you rely on your personal credit to fund your business, your personal mortgage, auto loan and personal credit cards all affect your ability to qualify for a business loan. Using business credit separates your personal activities from that of the business. The begin building your business credit, you should open a bank account in the name of your company and the account should show a cash flow capable of taking on a business loan.

LEARN ABOUT EMPLOYEE LAWS Your legal obligations as an employer begin as soon as you hire your first employee. You should spend time understanding what your obligations are according to the state you conduct business in. You should know federal and state payroll and withholding taxes, self-employment taxes, anti-discrimination laws, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation rules, and wage and hour requirements.

Obtain the necessary business permits and licenses Depending on your business type and physical location, you may be required to have one or more business licenses or permits from the state, local or even federal level. Such licenses include, general business operation license, zoning and land use permit, sales tax license, or professional licenses.

FILE FOR TRADEMARK PROTECTION Using a name instantly gives you common law rights as an owner, even without formal registration.

However, trademark law is complex and simply registering your company in your state does not automatically give you common-law rights. In order to claim first use, the name has to be trademarkable and in use in commerce. It’s always a great idea to protect your business name as it can become a valuable asset of your company.

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GET YOUR LEGAL DUCKS IN A ROW No matter how busy things with your startup get, set aside some time to address these matters and take your legal obligations seriously. Getting your legal ducks in a row right from the start will help you avoid any pitfalls down the road, and will help you scale your business successfully as you grow.

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For more information on how to legally protect your business please pick up a copy of my bestselling book: ‘Second Edition Go Legal Yourself’ on Amazon or visit my website at www.golegalyourself.com

Disclaimer: This information is made available by Bagla Law Firm, APC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, and not to provide specific legal advice. This information should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

Award-winning attorney, Kelly Bagla shows you how to avoid legal pitfalls FROM DAY ONE! The last thing an entrepreneur wants is to spend valuable time and resources on legal issues, which is why they often drop to the bottom of the pile. But this can be a COSTLY MISTAKE—and Go Legal Yourself is here to make sure it’s one you avoid.

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WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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WHAT’S NEXT Transition to Civilian Life

By Eve Nasby & Kristin Hennessy

Use your Combat Strengths to Combat the Paradox of Choice In December of 2000, Isaac Lee checked into his first CH-53E helicopter squadron after over three years of training. “I had finally made it to a deploying fleet squadron! My timing was either perfect or terrible, depending on the perspective,” says Lee. As was a young Naval Aviator, he was fueled with motivation.

While unclear on what to expect, he knew that hard work, being a great teammate and immersing himself in learning from more experienced officers and enlisted personnel in the squadron were critical for him to succeed..

Fast forward to Summer 2017. Isaac’s 20 year career as a Marine Corps Officer came to a close. The memories of his experience were vivid. He’d spent most of his career fighting and flying in the long conflicts following the attacks of September 11, 2001.

That experience exceeded his wildest expectations. It covered the gamut of the emotional spectrum, often lingering on the extremes. He’d been deployed seven times, four of those to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had served in almost every billet in the CH-53E squadron, including Commanding Officer.

The Wild Mission of Transition The thought of transition was also a feeling beyond his wildest dreams. “How was I going to figure out how to start an entirely new chapter of my life for my family and I? Where were we going to live? What was I going to do for a career?” The endless options and decisions were beyond overwhelming.

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Transitioning is challenging for everyone, and each case is unique. Isaac knew that to be successful, he had to go back to the beginning and approach transition with the same mindset that had made him successful in the squadron. This meant hard work and demonstrating his abilities as a great teammate. Most importantly, he needed to fast-track and learn as much as possible from everyone he met.

With that in mind, Isaac has 5 key takeaways to share with transitioning veterans that he attributes to his success.

1. There is no such thing as starting too early.

Isaac started reaching out to retired officers three years before he was even eligible to transition. In fact, he wasn’t even sure that he wanted to transition! But, this would help him make an informed decision. Those early conversations were invaluable and helped him start building an action plan. So, he decided he’d transition in 2 years, and had one year left in uniform to set himself up for success. He dedicated almost every bit of his spare time in that last year working on a transition plan.

2. Don’t underestimate the superpowers of networking. Networking is critical to transition success.

During his final year in active duty, he was networking at least three or four nights a week. He went to events hosted by organizations, informational interviews, and met people for coffee who were willing to share advice.

Every one of those interactions was educational.

3. Get your resume and LinkedIn profile done right they’re the bridge to your next success story.

Isaac received a ton of advice on his resume and LinkedIn profile, and quickly realized that he could spend endless time on those two things alone. He recommends that everyone get a good first version of their resume and then utilize their LinkedIn profile to highlight additional information that is not on their resume. LinkedIn is a great tool, but you must get your profile done and start using the tool! It is a great way to tell your story to everyone you meet.

4. Find organizations that help transitioning veterans - and get involved. Several outstanding organizations exist to help transitioning veterans, and

Isaac encourages everyone to work with several of them.

They are full of great resources, but you need to take ownership of the process. You still have to do the work and answer the hard questions for yourself!

5. Identify your strengths and use those to your greatest advantage. Early in transition, Isaac was overwhelmed by the endless choices, and found it difficult to define his professional passion. By identifying one of his key strengths, simplifying complex topics, he used that to come to his answer.

“My passion was people. Doing my part, being a leader, a great teammate, and contributing to a great unit culture.

That is what I loved. Once I understood that it helped me understand that I was looking for a situation, not a job,” explains Isaac. The “situation” he envisioned was a leadership position at a small to medium-sized company trying to grow. He realized his skills and passion would be most helpful in that type of setting. This realization also made facing the endless list of job postings seem significantly less overwhelming.

Today Isaac serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations for Soapy Joe’s Inc. in San Diego, California, where he works closely with his team to recruit veteran operations leaders. He continues to help and mentor transitioning veterans by attending veteran networking events.

About Isaac Lee As a lifelong student and craftsman of leadership, Isaac Lee is passionate about people and developing teams to maximize performance.

A Marine Corps combat veteran, and decorated Lieutenant Colonel with over 20 years of service, Lee served in multiple leadership roles as a Marine Corps Officer.

Over the course of his career, Lee completed seven operational deployments, four of which were combat deployments. His personal Military Awards include: Meritorious Service Medal with three Gold Stars, Air Medal Individual Action with Combat “V” and Gold Numeral “2”, Air Medal Strike Flight Numeral “17”, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Need help with your resume or interviewing skills?

Reach out to Eve at: eve@bandofhands.com www.linkedin.com/in/eve-nasby-given-hiring-expert

www.bandofhands.com WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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HUMAN RESOURCES Transition to Business

By Paul Falcone

Why Soft Skills Matter (and Technical Abilities May Not Be Enough)

“Soft skills” are the drivers behind performance that define your character and reputation.

In last month’s issue (January 2022), I wrote about the importance of longevity, career progression, and technical skills when transitioning into the private sector and conducting your job search.

To this third point, though, there’s a healthy caveat worth noting: technical skills—no matter how wellhoned or developed—will likely not be enough to make your career transition a full success.

Yes, technical skills can help you stand apart from your competition, no doubt, and there are lots of training and certification programs (think LinkedIn Learning) that you can access on your own in the months preceding your military-to-private sector transition. But the workplace demands a commitment to both performance and conduct, to high levels of productivity and behaviors that support teamwork and camaraderie. In short, it demands a heightened sense of leadership and a willingness and ability to create and sustain a friendly and inclusive work environment.

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“Soft skills” are the drivers behind performance that define your character and reputation. For example, good listening skills are more than just the ability to hear others communicate. They’re about listening with your eyes and heart in addition to your ears. They’re about showing empathy and creating a sense of having someone’s back.

When you’re described as a “great listener”—a very important soft skill—people sense that you care about them and have their interests in mind.

Further, a lack of soft skills, such as reliability, time management, or critical thinking can derail an employee with solid technical skills. According to LinkedIn, more than 80 percent of recruiters say when a new hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills. And that makes sense—you wouldn’t have made the final hiring cut without the technical skills and certifications needed for the position you were hired into, but if a new hire doesn’t work out, it’s typically due to

incompatible styles where the individual’s personality does not mesh with the culture. For example, an unwillingness to accept constructive criticism, to partner and support peers, or to hold oneself accountable for errors can be deal breakers in terms of building longevity at any particular organization.

Perhaps realizing this, many employers are prioritizing soft skills during hiring. Monster’s

The Future of Work 2021: Global Hiring Outlook reported that when employers were asked to name the top skills they want in employees, they cited soft skills such as dependability, teamwork/ collaboration, flexibility, and a healthy approach toward problem-solving.

In other words, while technical skills open doors of opportunity, soft skills provide career durability when it comes to forming interpersonal relationships and connections with peers and superiors and acquiring the skills, knowledge, and abilities to adapt and grow into your new role.

Becoming an engaged member of the team and contributor to team success comes primarily from making yourself a resource, a go-to person, to those around you so they can seek out your help.

The key people drivers of organizational success remain resiliency, accountability, innovation/ creativity, and the ability to reinvent oneself in light of an organization’s changing needs.

Look to develop and hone your reputation as a leader who cares, as someone engaged in strengthening and building your company and your coworkers, and as someone simply willing to help. Practice selfless leadership. Make of your life a gift, both at work and at home. You may just find that workplace karma can be a beautiful thing as others return the favor in following your example.

You can connect with Paul on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/paulfalcone1 Paul Falcone (www.PaulFalconeHR.com) is a human resources executive and bestselling author on hiring, performance management, and leadership development. www.HarperCollinsLeadership.com WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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Treating Hearing Loss & Tinnitus Can Ease Transition to Civilian Life Don’t let hearing conditions hold you back. Solutions are readily available and can make all the difference for veterans in transition.

By Hope Lanter, Au.D., lead audiologist, www.hear.com

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Millions of veterans suffer from hearing loss and tinnitus, which often create serious disruption and torment that impacts daily life.

Given the constant service-related exposure to hazardous noise levels from loud machinery, gunfire, explosions, etc., it’s no wonder that over 1.3 million vets receive VA disability compensation for hearing loss and another 2.3 million for tinnitus, a condition that causes ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling or clicking in the ears.

But considering that more half of U.S. soldiers have hearing loss, it’s likely the number of veterans with hearing conditions far exceeds those who seek treatment and compensation. Even beyond the military, hearing loss impacts over 37 million Americans and tinnitus another 50 million more.

While some veterans may feel embarrassed or ashamed by the thought of wearing a hearing aid, others who deal with significant disabilities, PTSD, etc. may see their hearing issues as a much lower priority—after all, it’s not a life-threatening condition.

But hearing issues can create substantial stress, anxiety, depression and social withdrawal, all of which can compound PTSD and interfere with healing. Not to mention, left untreated, hearing problems can worsen over time, especially tinnitus, and there can be a point of diminishing returns: if you wait too long, treatment may be less effective.

Veterans face a number of obstacles in transitioning to civilian life. From adjusting to life with less structure to finding a new career, or even managing issues like PTSD, substance use disorder, injuries or disabilities, it can be a lot to handle.

But if you’re also struggling to hear in normal conversations or avoiding quality time with friends or social situations because you can’t hear, or you’re tortured by a constant ringing or buzzing sound in your ears, it can only compound transition challenges, making it even more difficult to settle into a life you love.

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If you’re a veteran who’s suffering with hearing loss or tinnitus, you should know there are ample solutions available to help, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed or wait to seek treatment. Hearing issues could be a “low hanging fruit”—a situation that’s easily resolved so that you can concentrate on getting back to a life you love.

For hearing loss, hearing aids are the obvious solution, and the technology has improved drastically from what you may remember. These are not your grandfather’s hearing aids. Modern options now include on-demand adjustability for different settings, Bluetooth connectivity that turns them into sleek earbuds, and even high-performance dirt- and sweatresistant models built for active individuals.

Not Just A Smaller Hearing Aid,

BUT A SMARTER ONE. While tinnitus is a bit more complex, hearing aids can also help. These work by amplifying sounds to correctly stimulate damaged nerves, or by simply masking the sound with white noise or a pitch that counteracts the tinnitus. In addition, relaxation, meditation and sound therapies can help you better cope with tinnitus to minimize its impact on your life.

And, while there are some over-the-counter (OTC) remedies that claim to work miracles, many of these are “snake oil” treatments that do nothing more than waste your money. Unfortunately, nothing OTC is FDA approved yet.

Fortunately, the VA offers ample resources and hearing loss benefits, including free hearing aids to those who qualify. And despite some skepticism, the hearing aids provided by the VA are premium technology, so certainly, you should start there in seeking treatment for service-related hearing loss and tinnitus.

If you find you don’t qualify through the VA, visit an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist or audiologist for an evaluation. Many providers offer veterans’ discounts that can reduce the out-of-pocket cost for hearing loss treatment.

The bottom line is that, for many veterans, hearing loss and tinnitus could be quite easily treated, so there’s no reason to suffer in silence. Resolving hearing-related issues could be an important piece of easing your transition to civilian life, and improving your career prospects, family life and overall physical and mental wellbeing.

To find out more about how treating hearing loss can improve quality of life and the benefits available to U.S. service veterans, visit www.hear.com or call 786-520-2456 for a FREE consultation and to find a provider near you.

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Here's how you can get started: Visit: hear.com/veterans Call: (844) 4-HEARCOM or (844) 443-2726 www.hear.com/veterans WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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BUSINESS FOR VETERANS

By Barbara Eldridge www.mindmasters.com

Financing Growth Over the past year clients have been inundated with offers of loans to plan the growth of their businesses.

As business owners it is important to look ahead for not only the needs of the busy times of the year, but also to your plans and projections as you look at the year. Most small business owners are under the misconception that bank loans require a full business plan, with projections and a lot of other paperwork and documents. Don’t get me wrong, those things are needed for large loans and investments.

Lenders have come to recognize the needs of the small business owner and are making every effort to provide financing solutions. Depending on the amount of credit you need, the application process is shorter and requires very limited paperwork.

For larger short term working capital needs, including the financing of accounts receivable, inventory, or new business acquisitions, the Business Line of Credit can offer you flexibility for business purchases with a revolving credit line and even check access to funds.

Your credit availability is continually replenished as balances are repaid, which makes it ideal for working capital needs. It can also offer interest-only monthly payments.

Is SBA Loan Financing Right for You? Compared with conventional business financing, SBA loans can offer easier qualification, lower down payments, more affordable monthly payments, and full amortization. An SBA loan may be a good choice if you: • Are starting or buying a new business.

• Have been in business a short time.

• Need additional working capital to finance rapid growth, such as for new equipment, facilities construction or purchasing inventory.

• Need high loan-to-value financing.

• Are unable to obtain conventional financing.

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Being prepared and keeping up-to-date, positions you to act quickly on financial needs and/or opportunities.

Here are some of the things to have in place: • Don’t get into bad spending habits, they can kill you.

Learn to distinguish between your needs and wants.

• Know where you are going before you jump in too quickly. Make decisions for new products, services, markets or advertising based on good information.

Do your research.

• Have your accounting records up to date. This is the entrepreneurs’ most important step. How else do you know if you are achieving your goals?

• Are you within budget? Do you stay on top of what is coming in and what is going out? When you are on top of the flow, you are more likely to avoid the pitfalls that consume time and energy, (scrambling to find cash, trying to collect overdue receivables, handling creditors).

• Build a Basic Financial Package for your business; include (1) a Balance Sheet that shows the status of company assets, liabilities and owners’ equity, (2) a Profit and Loss Statement that summarizes the revenues, costs and expenses during one accounting period, (3) a Cash Flow Projection which estimates which money will actually flow into and out of the business.

These are some basics; other financial activities may require greater information.

• Get to know the loan officer of your bank. The better they know you, the more they work to help your business grow.

Staying on top of your business needs is “good business smarts”. Don’t wait until it is too late or you are down to the wire, know what is available for you and be able to act quickly.

Barbara Eldridge has built a solid reputation as a Success strategies specialist, within industry and business over the past 40 years. Her unique message, since starting Mind Masters 30 years ago for entrepreneurs and small business owners, continually stresses vision, purpose and values as the key elements of business philosophy. www.mindmasters.com

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Our students earn credentials that open doors to jobs anywhere in the U.S. Call us at (619) 550-1620.

AFTER EARNED A CAREER IN JUST 4 MONTHS. ENROLL NOW AT WFW.ORG CAD/CAM Programming CNC Machining Welding DoD SkillBridge Organization WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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The Job Market By: Joseph Molina National Veterans Chamber of Commerce veteransccsd@gmail.com No one would have predicted our current events under the COVID 19. We didn’t choose this but it’s here now and has become a dire situation for many in one way or another. Job security remains the question for many.

A world of possibilities It is true that a lot of doors and possibilities have been closed due to current situation, at the same time many different doors have been opened. While we may not be able to do things as we used to, we may be able to do those things in a different way or to do entirely new things and or create New Opportunities.

How can we improve our chances of securing a job?

1. To secure jobs during this lockdown period, one needs to be computer literate, comfortable working from home and have the basic skills with handling network and social media tools.

2. Resume-Video This is a great way to impress potential employers and to let them see what you have to offer, hear your message and your employment goals. The Job-Board is sponsored and managed by the National Veterans Chamber of Commerce – The service is provided at a low cost for Veterans and Military Families.

Program is partially funded by Corporate Sponsors.

3. Update your resume and improve LinkedIn profile. This is essential in improving your chances of getting an interview. It is a great idea to clean up your social media and remove anything that is likely to sabotage your chances of getting employed, anything you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see.

4. Research potential employers in social media: Become acquainted with their style, work type, and priorities. Connect via social media with some employees to become familiar of the organizational culture and hiring process.

5. Industry In-demand: The truth is that not every company has been affected directly by the pandemic, delivery workers, online customer service and warehouse workers, accountants and health care workers are still very much in demand. If you find yourself job hunting, you may want to consider those fields that are currently in demand.

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Video Interview tips: While the traditional face to face interviews may not be possible due to social distancing guidelines, a wellexecuted video interview will present an excellent alternative to meeting in person. However, during your virtual interview, try to keep these few tips in mind.

Resume-Video This is a new way to impress potential employers, let them see what you have to offer, hear your message what your goals are. The Job-Board is sponsored and managed by The Veterans Chamber of Commerce – The service is provided free to Veterans and Military families paid for Corporate Sponsors.

Be human be conversational.

Use a conversational style when talking about your goals and objectives, instead of jumping straight to what you want, you can start by stating Why you are interested in the job. Secondly, like the conventional interview, dress properly and find a quiet setting to record your video.

Practice Practice multiple times before you decide on uploading your final video. Take your time, get some feedback from friends or family on how you appear from their perspective. Prepare some of the things you may want to say about your own experiences this will help people connect with your story.

Be ingenious.

“Business as usual, no longer applies,” said Jana Seijts, a lecturer in management communication at the Ivey Business School. “Those who can adapt and seek out possibilities will thrive.” The need to learn new skills or to enrol for online certificate programs may be essential, keep learning. Take a look at some Online Courses, many of these courses are free.

The relationship between staying valuable in today’s market and investing in yourself cannot be overemphasized. You may want to learn new technical skills & soft skills that sets you apart from the rest.

Stay connected with people in your industry, network with groups that have similar interests and are working in organizations that you are or will be seeking employment.

The National Veterans Chamber would like to provide as much support as possible to those seeking employment by helping you connect with VeteranFriendly Employers. The Veterans Chamber ResumeVideo may give you the advantage you need to land an interview. Let us know how we may be able to support you!

NATIONAL VETERANS Veterans in Tech There are hundreds of career options for you.

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WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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Legally Speaking Military Focused Family Law Facts

By Tana Landau, Esq.

Education During Divorce: Who Pays for College and Private School Tuition?

Many parents hope that their children will further their education by attending college.

However, college can be a huge expense without a scholarship. A major concern for divorcing parents is how they will pay for college (and all the expenses that come with a college education) as well as who will pay for it.

In California, once a child turns 18 (or 19 if they’re still attending high school) a parent is no longer obligated to financially support a child.

Child support ceases at this age absent special circumstances such as an adult disabled child.

Therefore, there is no legal obligation in California for parents to pay for their child’s college education.

While there may not be a legal obligation, it is understandable that each parent would want commitment from the other parent to contribute to the cost of their child’s college education. So how do you get that commitment during a divorce?

One way to secure a commitment to contribute to your child’s college expenses is to negotiate a provision to be included in a Marital Settlement Agreement as part of your overall divorce settlement. A Marital Settlement Agreement is an agreement between divorcing spouses that addresses issues such as child and spousal support, custody and visitation, and property division.

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Any provision to be included as part of your overall agreement that addresses college expenses should be specific and include the following details: - How much are you each contributing?

- What expenses are you contributing to (tuition, room and board, meals, books, living expenses, etc.)?

- When are contributions to be made?

- Is there a limit to the amount of contributions or the time period that contributions are to be made?

- Does your agreement include both private and public colleges?

- Does it include in state and out of state schools?

- Are there any conditions precedent to the contributions being made (i.e. does your child have to maintain a certain GPA or remain enrolled fulltime)?

If you are concerned about the other parent following through on the agreement in the future, then another option is to establish a trust account or escrow account to set aside funds for college education expenses. If you have funds available at the time of your divorce, this may be a better option for you.

You can agree a certain sum is set aside at that time as well as how much money both parties are to contribute to the future if more contributions are necessary. If further contributions are to be made, your agreement should have the same specificity as discussed above.

Finally, you should consider including the obligation to maintain insurance in your agreement. In the future, there is always the chance that a parent will become disabled and lose their job or even pass away at some point after the divorce but before the child goes to college. If anything happens to either parent, having life insurance or disability insurance in place as security could help ensure financial protection for the child’s college education and associated expense.

If your child has not yet graduated high school and is attending a private school, you may also have concerns regarding the other parent’s contribution to that cost during your divorce. Educational expenses are considered discretionary child support add-ons.

Therefore, the Court does have discretion to order the other parent to contribute to private school tuition.

The Court will weigh several factors.

These factors include: - The incomes of both parents (Can the parent’s afford private school going forward?)

- The specific educational needs of the child (Does the child have a specific and documented need that cannot be adequately addressed by public school?)

- The child’s previous education history (Has the child been attending the same private school for several years?)

- The religious background of the child and/or family - The extent to which the noncustodial parent was involved in the child’s education prior to the divorce The Court’s decision is a balancing act in the best interest of the child. Keep in mind that the Court may not order the payment of private school tuition if a party cannot afford it or the Court determines it is not in the child’s best interest.

For more information about educational expenses in your military divorce, check out our website: www.frfamilylaw.com or call (858) 720-8250 and ask to speak with military family law attorney Tana Landau.

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Legal Experts with Humanity WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022

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SERVING VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES www.sdvetscoalition.org

February 2022

The San Diego Veterans Coalition Salutes Warrior Resource Project!

Warrior Resource Project (WRP) is a California 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides reliable vehicles to veteran families, at no cost. WRP also pays for all license and transfer fees associated and covers scheduled maintenance of the vehicle for the first year of ownership.

The vehicle donors are offered the option of participating in the WRP donation process, including the donation of the vehicle to a veteran family, and are recognized for the life-changing donation they have given.

For the vehicle, the process begins with WRP Team, which is made of a select network of mechanics, autobody specialists, and others in the vehicle service and/or products industry, inspecting the vehicle to see what needs to be done to get the car in good working order. Then, the WRP Team donates their time and parts to fix the repairs needed to get the vehicle running and looking great. You’ll be able to identify a WRP supporting business by the designating decal in the window and the Official WRP Team Certificate hanging on their wall.

Once the WRP Team is pleased with the condition of the vehicle, it will be donated to a deserving veteran San Diego family - who desperately needs a vehicle to better their quality of life. WRP will also cover the cost of the transfer of ownership, taxes and any fees (recipient is responsible for obtaining their own insurance). WRP will also cover the cost of all scheduled maintenance for 1 year.

All U.S. Military and Veteran families of any era are welcome to apply for a vehicle. In order to be eligible, applicants must have a permanent residence and be able to maintain insurance on the donated vehicle.

These are a few of the qualifying factors that are considered when the WRP Team is deciding on a local veteran family to serve.

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Donating a Car to those in Need WRP is committed to helping Veteran families that are in need of reliable transportation. WRP wants to remove the hardship of not being able to get where the veteran needs to be. They know that there are a lot of people that are truly reliable but are held back by the absence of their own mode of transportation.

Helping Veteran Families WRP is committed to helping Veteran families that are in need of reliable transportation. They want to remove the hardship of not being able to get where they need to be. WRP knows that there are a lot of people that are truly reliable but are held back by the absence of their own mode of transportation.

Source of Hope for Veterans WRP has been blessed with the generous donation of a 2008 Ford F-150 and it will eventually be donated to a veteran family! This F-150 is in the process of being completely inspected to determine if there are any repairs needed or if any maintenance needs to be performed. Once the vehicle is cleared by their of mechanics, it will move into the body and cosmetic phase of the WRP Process. Their community partner, Dentology generously donates their dent removal services, Visual Detailing donates a full professional detailing of the vehicle and the vehicle is prepped to be donated!

WRP’s goal is to have several partners in the automotive services industry to join them in the process of preparing these vehicles, and also to create community partners to fill the vehicle with groceries and other life changing gifts.

WRP wants the entire community to join in their mission!

Website: www.warriorresourceproject.org For More Information: info@warriorresourceproject.org For additional information, please visit www.sdvetscoalition.org

www.warriorresourceproject.org

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www.rva.gov/police/personnel

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