Behind The Mission

Because fewer than 7% of Americans have served in uniform, most Americans are unfamiliar with military service and culture. As a result, members of the military and Veteran community are at greater risk for disconnection and lack of belonging with the civilian community. PsychArmor’s mission is to bridge the military-civilian divide by educating and training a Nation. Each week, Duane France, a combat Veteran and Clinical Mental Health Counselor, will dig deep into the stories “Behind The Mission” - and create a conversation with organizations and leaders on how they are utilizing their expertise and networks to support the military-connected community.

Behind The Mission is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 282 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Behind The Mission, a education show with 282 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Behind The Mission

  BTM281 – Rebecca Monaco– Providing Support for Afghan Women Veterans

  Aug 18, 202628 min

  Show Summary On today's episode, we’re having a conversation with Military Intelligence and Civil Affairs Veteran Rebecca Monaco, co-founder of Next Mission, an organization dedicated to empowering and supporting resettled Afghan women veterans who served alongside U.S. Special Operations forces Episode Partner: Our sponsor this week is Aetna , a trusted health care company, committed to serving Veterans, military families, and caregivers through meaningful, community-centered care. Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who’ve served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor Stories About Today’s Guest Rebecca Monaco, MPH, is a public health leader, researcher, and program strategist with more than ten years of experience leading complex initiatives across healthcare, nonprofit, government, and military organizations. She earned her Master of Public Health from Dartmouth College, where she developed a passion for behavioral health research, implementation science, and innovative approaches to improving care. Her current interests focus on psychedelic-assisted therapy, women’s health, and translating emerging research into real-world impact. A former U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Intelligence Officer, Rebecca deployed to Afghanistan as a Cultural Support Team (CST) member with Joint Special Operations Command, where she served alongside Afghan Female Tactical Platoon (FTP) members. Following the fall of Afghanistan, her team coordinated the evacuation of 42 Afghan female Special Operations personnel, an experience that continues to shape her commitment to service, leadership, and advancing opportunities for vulnerable communities. Rebecca currently serves as the volunteer Project Manager and Board Secretary for NXT Mission, where she leads initiatives supporting refugee resettlement, education, workforce development, and long-term integration for displaced Afghan women and families across the United States. Links Mentioned During the Episode Next Mission Website Next Mission on LinkedIn PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is a previous episode of the Behind The Mission podcast, episode 184 with Kari McDonough. Kari is Vice President of Welcome.US and Senior Advisor to the Welcome Fund, a program of Welcome.us that provides a source for grantmaking to organizations as they involve community members to welcoming coalition allies coming to the US as part of resettlement efforts. You can find the resource here: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/kari-mcdonough Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmor PsychArmor on X PsychArmor on Facebook PsychArmor on YouTube PsychArmor on LinkedIn PsychArmor on Instagram Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore , a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com

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  Behind The Mission

  BTM280 – Mary Bier – Military Child Education Coalition (Replay)

  Aug 14, 202629 min

  Show Summary As military-connected students head back to school, we’re revisiting a conversation with Mary Bier, MBA, President and CEO of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). Mary joins host Duane France to discuss the unique educational experiences of military-connected children, the challenges families can face navigating school transitions, and how MCEC helps families, educators, and communities support military students throughout their educational journey. Episode Partner: Our sponsor this week is Aetna , a trusted health care company, committed to serving Veterans, military families, and caregivers through meaningful, community-centered care. Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who’ve served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor Stories About Today’s Guest Mary Bier, MBA, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). A seasoned leader with more than 20 years of experience in business strategy, organizational leadership, and community engagement, she brings a dynamic vision to MCEC’s mission of ensuring every military-connected child has access to quality educational opportunities. As a military spouse and parent, Bier has firsthand insight into the unique challenges and strengths of military families. This lived experience fuels her passion for advocating for military-connected students, ensuring they receive the educational support and opportunities they deserve. Bier’s professional background spans both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, where she has successfully led high-impact initiatives, built collaborative partnerships, and served as a subject matter expert on veteran and military family issues. She has been invited to the White House to share insights on military-connected programs, testified before the New York City Department of Veteran Affairs, and facilitated expert panels on military family well-being. Prior to joining MCEC, Bier held leadership roles in business strategy, customer success, and military initiatives, where she was instrumental in scaling operations, optimizing talent development, and fostering inclusive organizational cultures. Her ability to translate strategic goals into actionable outcomes has driven mission impact across multiple organizations. At MCEC, Bier is committed to expanding the organization’s reach, deepening partnerships, and championing the needs of military-connected children. Under her leadership, MCEC will continue to be a trusted resource for families, educators, and policymakers dedicated to supporting military students on their educational journey. Bier holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on Management and Organizational Behavior and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from California Lutheran University. She resides with her family in Madison, Wisconsin. Links Mentioned During the Episode Military Child Education Coalition Website Heroic Hearts Scholarship Call for the Arts Scholarship Month of the Military Child Toolkit Purple Star National Advocate Student to Student Program PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Supporting Children Who Support Veterans . Although your children may be small now, we hope this course gives you some building blocks to address any parenting challenges you may encounter as your children mature. You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Supporting-Children-Who-Support-Veterans Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmor PsychArmor on X PsychArmor on Facebook PsychArmor on YouTube PsychArmor on LinkedIn PsychArmor on Instagram Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore , a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com

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  Behind The Mission

  BTM279 – Stephanie Rundle – Supporting Academic Continuity for Military Children

  Aug 4, 202627 min

  Show Summary On today's episode, we’re having a conversation with Military and Veteran Spouse Stephanie Rundle, founder of Bridge and Banner, an organization that provides support for learning continuity for children who move frequently, which includes active duty military families. Episode Partner: Our sponsor this week is Aetna , a trusted health care company, committed to serving Veterans, military families, and caregivers through meaningful, community-centered care. Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who’ve served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor Stories About Today’s Guest Stephanie Rundle is an educator, military spouse, and military child advocate whose experience was built in classrooms across the country, serving as a teacher, instructional coach, and leader. Stephanie began her role in education upon earning her degree in Birth through Kindergarten Education from Western Carolina University. Within the walls of formal education, she created unique learning experiences that embraced the diverse learning needs of her students, preschool through fourth grade. While teaching, she earned a Master of Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University, after which she became an Instructional Coach and Professional Development Coordinator. Outside the classroom, Stephanie continues to actively serve her community by volunteering in schools, with military-focused nonprofits, and on military installations. Stephanie’s engagement across settings enabled her to build relationships with military-connected families as they navigated the impact of frequent military relocations on their children’s academic continuity. In 2024, she was committed to mitigating those impacts and applied to the George W. Bush Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program. As a scholar, Stephanie launched The Continuing Education Plan, now known as Bridge & Banner™, a fiscally sponsored project of the nonprofit Veterans Collaborative™. Bridge and Banner™ provides tools to strengthen partnerships between teachers and parents, amplifying the parents’ ability to advocate for their child’s academic needs during military transitions. Stephanie is committed to advancing her research on academic continuity as a 2026 Tillman Scholar attending Mississippi State University’s Doctor of Educational Policy and Organizational Design program. Stephanie aims to advance educational policy by providing a clear path for action across academic and community programs, ensuring transparency and addressing academic continuity for all vulnerable student populations. Links Mentioned During the Episode Bridge and Banner Website Bridge and Banner on Facebook PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor Course Introduction to Public School Interstate Compact for Military Children. Identifying who qualifies for the Interstate Compact, understanding the five key policy areas the Interstate Compact addresses, and discussing the schools and grades to which the Interstate Compact applies are the learning objectives of this course You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/introduction-to-public-school-interstate-compact-for-military-children Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmor PsychArmor on X PsychArmor on Facebook PsychArmor on YouTube PsychArmor on LinkedIn PsychArmor on Instagram Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore , a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com

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  Behind The Mission

  BTM278 – Dr Deborah Bradbard – The Boeing Center for Veteran Transition and Military Families

  Jul 28, 202628 min

  Show Summary On today's episode, we’re having a conversation with Dr Debbie Bradbard, Military and Veteran Spouse and the inaugural director of the Boeing Center for Veteran Transition and Military Families at the Virginia Tech in Alexandria, VA. The center’s goal is to harness the potential of service members, veterans and their families to thrive in tomorrow’s workforce—through skills, mentorship, research, entrepreneurial support, and resources that build future-ready careers and drive economic opportunity Episode Partner: This episode is sponsored by CareLinx by Sharecare, connecting Veterans, Service Members, and military Families with trusted home care and caregiver support. Provide Support: Take a moment to turn your gratitude into action. For just $15, you can help provide military culture training to one person who supports veterans and their families, equipping them to respond with greater understanding, confidence, and care. GIVE HERE through our giving page at psycharmor.org. Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who’ve served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor Stories About Today’s Guest Deborah Bradbard is the inaugural director of the Boeing Center for Veteran Transition and Military Families at the Virginia Tech in Alexandria, VA. As a Senior Researcher at Syracuse University’s, D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), Bradbard spent nearly a decade publishing signature publications and shaping policy and best practices for veterans and military families. Her work on military spouse and veteran employment have been cited by the White House, members of Congress, CNN, the Center for Deployment Psychology and utilized by national professional organizations including The American Psychological Association (APA) and The Society for Human Resource Management Foundation (SHRM) where her work has been downloaded by over 20,000 human resource professionals nationwide. As Director of Research and Policy at Blue Star Families (BSF), she directed implementation of their national survey whose results have had an enduring influence on military family policy on spouse employment, childcare, and financial readiness. In the private sector at Booz Allen Hamilton, she developed clinical support tools that have been utilized by providers across the entire military health system of over 3 million users. A frequent speaker for national conferences, Bradbard educates policy makers, elected officials, and employers about the evolving needs of the military community. A psychologist by training, Dr. Bradbard received her Ph.D. from Auburn University and her MPA from Syracuse University. Links Mentioned During the Episode Boeing Center for Veteran Transition and Military Families Virginia Tech in DC on LinkedIn Dr. Bradbard on LinkedIn PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor Course Understanding and Utilizing Your Educational Benefits. provides service members, Veterans and their families with a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs educational benefits program. You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Understanding-and-Utilizing-Your-Educational-Benefits Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmor PsychArmor on X PsychArmor on Facebook PsychArmor on YouTube PsychArmor on LinkedIn PsychArmor on Instagram Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore , a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com

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  Behind The Mission

  BTM277 – Chris Weedon – The Mentally Shredded Foundation

  Jul 21, 202631 min

  Show Summary On today's episode, we’re having a conversation with Veteran family member Chris Weedon, Founder and Executive Director of the Mentally Shredded Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing burnout and strengthening mental resilience through movement, reflection, conversation, and community. Episode Partner: This episode is sponsored by CareLinx by Sharecare, connecting Veterans, Service Members, and military Families with trusted home care and caregiver support. Provide Support: Take a moment to turn your gratitude into action. For just $15, you can help provide military culture training to one person who supports veterans and their families, equipping them to respond with greater understanding, confidence, and care. GIVE HERE through our giving page at psycharmor.org. Provide Feedback As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who’ve served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor Stories About Today’s Guest Christopher D. Weedon, MBA, is the Founder and Executive Director of the Mentally Shredded Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing burnout and strengthening mental resilience through movement, reflection, conversation, and community. A former collegiate soccer captain who also competed at the semi-professional level, and a former strength and conditioning coach, Christopher created the Mentally Shredded 3-in-1 Method after navigating his own mental health challenges and recognizing the need for proactive, accessible wellness experiences. Since 2022, the organization has served more than 2,000 participants through live programs and reached more than 10,000 people through educational content and The Mentally Shredded Show podcast. Christopher is building a scalable model that equips organizations and communities to make mental wellness a regular practice rather than a crisis response. Links Mentioned During the Episode Mentally Shredded Website Chris Weedon on Instagram Mentally Shredded on Instagram Chris Weedon on LinkedIn PsychArmor Resource of the Week This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor Course Bolstering Resilience, part of the Brain Health and Wellness Learning Series. This mini-course series on resilience, sponsored by Wounded Warrior Project, spotlights five supporting factors proven to bolster resilience among service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers: SMART goals, mental health, nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Each element builds upon a foundation of service and increases the ability to successfully cope with high levels of stress and pressure. You’ll learn why these supporting pillars are so important to overall well-being, their application in daily life, and how it’s never too late to make a lasting change. You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/WWP-BHW-bolstering-resilience Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmor PsychArmor on X PsychArmor on Facebook PsychArmor on YouTube PsychArmor on LinkedIn PsychArmor on Instagram Theme Music Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore , a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities. Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com

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