Eagle Ops: The Rally Point Podcast | Podcast on RSS.com

Eagle Ops: The Rally Point Podcast

Eagle Ops: The Rally Point Podcast

by Blue Couch Studio

Season 1

How United Rentals Hires, Trains & Pays Veterans: ft. Michele White

United Rentals is the largest equipment rental company in the world — 28,000+ employees, and just under 10% are veterans. Operations Manager Michele White joins the Eagle Ops Rally Point Podcast to reveal how they actually help veterans: on-the-job training through Vet to Tech (STEP) and DoD SkillBridge, $5,000 toward a CDL, and a full tool chest bought for every tech who completes the program. But this goes deeper than hiring. Michele shares the story of Greg Shanahan and the 486th Civil Battalion, the friend whose legacy became a company-wide award and an annual luncheon feeding 150–200 soldiers, plus the awards that back it all up: the HIRE Vets Medallion, Military Friendly Employer (Gold), and "America's Most Patriotic Company." If you're a veteran, here's your move: apply at unitedrentals.com under Careers, then call a contact directly: Amir at 972-330-3748 or Kelly French at 949-392-2710 (both veterans) for a warm intro. And if you run a company with a strong veteran presence, this episode is your blueprint. United Rentals didn't just cut a check, they built the entire "Fore the Vets" charity golf tournament, now in its 4th year (October 23rd at Battle Creek). Michele's challenge to other companies is simple: "Get involved. It's not hard." Download the Eagle Ops Impact Guide to see exactly how to sponsor or participate in a Rally Point. https://impact.eagleops.org/eagle-ops-community-support-funnel Veterans and families: cost of admission is just showing up. Find 30–40 free events a month at eagleops.org/calendar, and grab the free Veteran Resource Guide at: https://resources.eagleops.org/eagle-ops-veteran-resource-guide-funnel-page Until next time ...meet us at the rally point.

Women Veterans' Unique Health Needs with Kellie Zimmerman (Live from Vet Fest)

Live from Eagle Ops Vet Fest, host Ryan "Bacon" Nelson sits down with Kellie Zimmerman, Women Veterans Outreach Coordinator and a registered nurse with eight years at the VA, to talk about the care built for women who served. Women veterans are the fastest-growing demographic at the VA, and their healthcare needs are distinct — from the physical toll of military service to high rates of military sexual trauma. Kellie explains how the Women Veterans Program delivers care across every phase of life, from reproductive health through menopause, with MyChart access, dedicated clinics designed for privacy and safety, and continuous provider training. "This is not your grandfather's VA." Women veterans: call the Women Veterans Call Center at 1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636) answered by female veterans and a one-stop shop for healthcare, benefits, and more. Veteran resources across Oklahoma: okveteransresources.com Oklahoma Top 5 Veteran Resources: https://resources.eagleops.org/eagle-ops--veteran-resource-guide-funnel Brought to you by the Eagle Ops Foundation.

Eastern Oklahoma VA: Expanding Care for Women Veterans | Dr. Denning

Live from Eagle Ops Vet Fest, host Ryan "Bacon" Nelson talks with Dr. Denning, Executive Director of the VA Healthcare System for Eastern Oklahoma, about the resources available to veterans and the major changes underway. Dr. Denning highlights the VA's growing women's health program, one of the few with an in-house mammography program (91st & Mingo), a new menopause clinic, expanded OBGYN and prenatal care, pelvic floor therapy, and twice-a-year baby showers for expecting veteran mothers. She also previews the new downtown Tulsa veterans hospital next to OSU, a full inpatient facility targeted to open in December 2026, and explains how services at Muskogee will be repurposed going forward. A quick, resource-packed conversation for veterans, families, and anyone supporting those who served. Veteran resources across Oklahoma: okveteransresources.com Oklahoma Top 5 Veteran Resources: https://resources.eagleops.org/eagle-ops--veteran-resource-guide-funnel Brought to you by the Eagle Ops Foundation.

How Heroes Can Potentially Get Money Back When They Buy a Home (Homes For Heroes)

Veterans, active duty, firefighters, law enforcement, EMS, healthcare workers, and teachers — did you know you can get a rewards check back when you buy or sell a home? In this Vet Fest episode of the Eagle Ops Rally Point podcast, Ryan "Bacon" Nelson talks with Greg Miller, a 23-year Navy veteran, RE/MAX realtor, and Homes For Heroes affiliate. Greg explains who qualifies as a "hero," how the rewards program actually works, and why using an affiliate — instead of a generic realtor — can save heroes thousands across the realtor, lender, and title company. He also digs into VA loans and the VA appraisal process, and shares why, for him, taking care of heroes is personal. If you're a hero — or you know one — looking to buy, sell, or refinance, this one's worth the listen. Reach Greg directly: https://greggsheroes.com Oklahoma's Top 5 Veteran Resources: https://okveteransresources.com Brought to you by the Eagle Ops Foundation. Vet Fest exists to connect veterans and their families to the resources they've earned.

"I Am the Veteran" Cameron Hughes on Afghanistan, Faith & Finding Community | Vet Fest Series

Army veteran Cameron Hughes enlisted at 17 and deployed in 2021 as an HVAC mechanic, but during the Kabul airport bombing, her mission changed. She became a chaplain's assistant running prayer tents and helping evacuate refugees from Afghanistan, and was baptized in water found in the desert. Now the Lead Community Pastor at Life.Church Broken Arrow South, In this Vet Fest interview, she talks about the hard transition to civilian life, being a female veteran people don't expect, and why true belonging, not a separate group, is what helps veterans finally ask for help. Part of the Eagle Ops Rally Point Vet Fest series. Resources for veterans and their families: • Oklahoma's Top 5 Veteran Resources: https://resources.eagleops.org/eagle-ops--veteran-resource-guide-funnel • Statewide resource hub: https://okveteransresources.com • Get involved — www.eagleops.org

Cristian Barron: From Marine Corps Champion to Founder of Resilient Tactical

Marine veteran Cristian Barron walked into a range for fun and walked out on a path that would change his life. In this Vet Fest episode of the Eagle Ops Rally Point Podcast, Ryan "Bacon" Nelson talks with the former Marine Corps Shooting Team member and national champion about getting out in 2018, struggling to find his place in the civilian world, and the blunt words from a fellow Marine that led him to found Resilient Tactical. It's an honest conversation about resilience, mental health, community, and building a mission after service plus the Eagle Ops x Resilient Tactical partnership creating a pathway to excellence for veteran shooters. Learn more about Resilient Tactical: Oklahoma veteran resources: https://okveteransresources.com If you or a veteran you know is struggling, dial 988 then Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.

Life After the Army: Mike & Amanda Pickens on Transition, Isolation & Found Family

After 22 years, four deployments, and duty stations from Fort Bragg to Korea to Italy, retired Army First Sergeant and Ranger Mike Pickens and his wife, Army veteran Amanda Pickens, thought coming home to Oklahoma would be the easy part. It wasn't. In this honest, deeply relatable conversation, Mike and Amanda open up about the side of military life that rarely gets talked about: the transition out. They share what it was like to raise two kids overseas with no family nearby, why the structure and built-in community of the military is so hard to replace, and the quiet shock of returning "home" to find that friends and even family had moved on. Amanda speaks candidly about the mental-health toll of that isolation, and Mike reflects on trading a career of leading soldiers for a mission he never trained for — figuring out who you are after the uniform comes off. Then they found the Eagle Ops Foundation. What started as showing up to a golf night with zero interest in golf became something they didn't know they were missing: a positive social connection with other veterans, a "found family," and a support system built for the whole family — not just the service member. Whether you're a veteran, a military spouse, or someone who loves one, this episode is a powerful reminder that the hardest battles often come after service — and that no one has to fight them alone. 🇺🇸 Learn more about the Eagle Ops Foundation and find a Rally Point near you. Subscribe wherever you listen — Apple, Spotify, and YouTube — and we'll see you at the next Rally Point.

Hunt Therapy, Moral Injury & the Lie That Kills Veterans | Dr. Carter Check Pt. 2

Part two with Dr. Carter Check a former Army CAV scout, VA clinician, and founder of Hunt Therapy. In this episode, Dr. Check unpacks what moral injury actually is (and why it's not a weakness), why veterans who die by suicide often believe they're saving others, and how purpose becomes the most powerful weapon against shame. He shares the story behind Hunt Therapy and his book Healing in the Wild built on the idea that nature shows up even when people don't. Host Travis and Dr. Check also dig into what makes Eagle Ops different: a place where veterans don't have to be their title, just themselves. Raw, real, and worth your time.

From Iwo Jima to Williams Tower: The Story That Built Eagle Ops

Williams CEO Chad Zamrin joins Shep on the Eagle Ops Rally Point Podcast to talk veteran workforce investment, mental health stigma in construction and the military, and why supporting organizations like Eagle Ops is one of the highest-ROI decisions a business leader can make. Chad opens up about his 10 months as CEO of Williams — an $8B company forecasting 10% annual growth — and what the company's WWII legacy taught him about servant leadership, problem-solving, and community. Topics covered: Williams' role in building the WWII War Emergency Pipelines John Williams surviving Iwo Jima and becoming the company's longest-serving CEO Veteran suicide rates in construction — and what companies can actually do Eagle Ops' Freedom Shoots and the veteran whose life it turned around How to reach 285,000 Oklahoma veterans at scale What Chad tells other CEOs about investing in veteran nonprofits Eagle Ops Mission: Connecting relationships to resources to bring our heroes home. eagleops.org

Part 2 with Ryan "Bacon" Nelson: From Lost to Purpose-Driven Mission Coordinator : An Eagle Ops Story

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

1 of 2