Military Veterans Make Ideal Candidates to Become Educators, DoD Should Work to Save and Restore Federal Troops to Teachers Program

Article by Chris Meek

While many states and the private sector make focused efforts to help active duty military personnel transition to civilian employment, many have recognized that a clear win-win opportunity exists in the education profession. After all, if there is anything that people learn during service in the military it’s most definitely leadership and discipline – two invaluable commodities that will always be needed within our classrooms, perhaps now more than ever before.

Military Teachers

Realizing that veterans and active duty personnel preparing to transition to civilian life make ideal candidates to teach the next generation, I penned an op-ed for the Stamford Advocate in February 2021 which focused on the challenge of bridging the gap between active duty and academia. I advocated for bettering and leveraging programs like Troops to Teachers, a federal program designed to assist aspiring veteran educators, provide young minds with inspiring leaders, and improve the overall education system.

I was disheartened to hear that the program, which encourages military veterans to become public school teachers and offers counseling to help veterans navigate the process of meeting the proper licensing requirements, was officially shuttered by the Department of Defense (DoD) in October due to efforts to reallocate resources to “higher priority programs more closely aligned to the National Defense Strategy.”

While I can certainly appreciate this sentiment – especially in light of threats that our adversaries like Russia and China currently pose and the ever increasing need for advanced technology and research – I still firmly believe that the DoD should attempt to streamline the program before making the ultimate decision to eliminate it completely. If not, I believe that we’ll stand to regret the decision.

Since its inception in 1993, the program has been a fixture in both Democrat and Republican administrations and to date, has produced around 23,000 veterans turned teachers who may not have found their passion for education without the program, which provides up to $10,000 of financial support per individual.

I would also be remiss not to point out the positive impact that veteran turned teachers undoubtedly have on the children they educate. In a time when parents feel more empowered than ever to be directly involved in their children’s education, it is especially important that a focus is placed not only on what students are being taught in the classroom but on those who we recruit as educators. As referenced above, veterans come with unique leadership skills, discipline, perspectives and experiences that serve as assets to the classrooms they teach in.

However, it is hard to overlook the $15 million per year price tag that comes with the Troops to Teachers program, especially when considering the DoD’s mission to reallocate finances into higher priority programming. As I pointed out in my op-ed, while 23,000 veterans turned teachers is certainly an achievement, it amounts to fewer than 750 per year. It’s hard to imagine that the program has ever truly reached its peak performance. On top of that, $10,000 for each of the 750 veterans that pass through the program each year only equates to $7.5 million, which means that almost 50% of the program’s spending is in overhead costs.

Before making the ultimate decision to end the program entirely, I believe that the DoD should work to structurally and financially reform Troops to Teachers to not only free up funding to go towards other defense programming but also make better use of the remaining funds and reduce overhead costs significantly to produce even more veteran turned educators each year.

According to a joint letter written to the U.S. House and Senate by the American Legion and other veteran’s groups advocating for the program, “studies have shown that Troops to Teachers educators fill thousands of vacancies in high-need schools and subject areas.” This is important now more than ever before, especially when one considers the results of a January 2021 RAND survey which indicated that 25% of teachers surveyed admitted they wanted to leave their profession upon the conclusion of that academic year.

Veteran educators can be counted on to fill the many academic positions that are currently available today and if restructured, the 28-year-old Troops to Teachers program can be an essential component in meeting the educational demands of our time while providing an easier pathway for transition from military life into a civilian career in education for veterans.

SoldierStrong and Penumbra to Support Veterans With Novel Immersive Healthcare Technology

SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit committed to delivering revolutionary medical technology to veterans to help them take their next steps forward, announced a donation from Penumbra, Inc. (NYSE: PEN), a global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies, to support U.S. military veterans and active military service members with the use of immersive healthcare technology to help aid their physical rehabilitation. Penumbra will donate the REAL ® Immersive System, which leverages virtual reality (VR) to deliver engaging, immersive therapeutics designed to engage patients during their rehabilitation journey, supporting areas such as functional skills and cognition.

“There is significant research that supports the substantial benefits of virtual reality, which the military has long recognized. They are early adopters of VR technology to address a range of conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Adam Elsesser, chairman and CEO of Penumbra, Inc. “In honor of Veteran’s Day and Penumbra’s commitment to help as many people as we can with our technology, we are proud to support SoldierStrong in their mission to aid the health and well-being of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and veterans.”

With this donation, SoldierStrong will be able to deliver REAL Systems to more than 20 military and veteran rehabilitation centers across the U.S. This is the latest effort by SoldierStrong to provide revolutionary medical technologies to help injured veterans and active service members lead full lives. Prior to Penumbra’s contribution, SoldierStrong had donated $4.2 million in state-of-the-art medical devices to individual veterans and Veterans Affairs medical centers across the country. These devices include hyper-advanced prosthetics, exoskeleton suits used in the rehabilitation of spinal and stroke injuries, virtual reality to treat post-traumatic stress and highpowered mobility devices.

“VR often keeps patients engaged in ways not always found within the treatment process, particularly in physical rehabilitation, and that benefit is immeasurable,” SoldierStrong co-founder and chairman Chris Meek said. “We could not carry out our mission without the innovation and leadership of companies like Penumbra that enthusiastically support our efforts to provide veterans with life-changing medical technologies.”

REAL Immersive System is designed for clinicians to address the individual needs of high-acuity to highfunctioning patients in a rehabilitation setting. Its activities address motor skills, core and balance, cognition, functional tasks, activities of daily living training, vision and wellness.

About the REAL Immersive System Portfolio
Penumbra’s REAL Immersive System is part of a portfolio of immersive healthcare products that leverage virtual reality to deliver engaging, immersive therapeutics designed to promote better health, including furthering functional skills, cognition and stress management. Built on advanced technology with a growing library of VR- based activities and experiences, the REAL Immersive System portfolio is comprised of two product solutions: REAL Immersive System for clinical rehabilitation and REAL i-Series for wellness. For more information, please visit the REAL system website.

About SoldierStrong
 SoldierStrong helps American patriots take their next steps forward. Through educational scholarships and by harnessing the most innovative technology in advanced rehabilitation, we help returning service men and women move in the only direction they should know – forward. Nearly every dollar SoldierStrong receives goes towards support of American patriots so that they can re-acclimate to civilian life. Our organization works to remind veterans who have sacrificed so much that we are forever thankful. For more information, visit the SoldierStrong website.

About Penumbra
 Penumbra, Inc., headquartered in Alameda, California, is a global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies. Penumbra designs, develops, manufactures and markets novel products and has a broad portfolio that addresses challenging medical conditions in markets with significant unmet need. Penumbra supports healthcare providers, hospitals and clinics in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit the Penumbra website and connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Ahead of Veterans Day, SoldierStrong Donates $10,000 to Share “Wounded Heroes” Documentary With Heroes Across the Country

SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit committed to providing revolutionary medical technology to help military veterans take their next steps forward, has donated $10,000 to share viewings of the documentary, Wounded Heroes with military veterans, first responders and other heroes across the nation.

“Michael Gier’s award-winning documentary, Wounded Heroes, resonates with so many people who have experienced post-traumatic stress or know someone who has,” said SoldierStrong co-founder Chris Meek. “There have been many films and programs about post-traumatic stress but the focus on alternative treatments in Wounded Heroes is truly unique. Part of our work at SoldierStrong includes deploying revolutionary virtual reality technology used to treat PTS to Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country. Because we know firsthand that alternative treatments can be the solution those living with PTS are looking for, we were motivated and felt the need to share Wounded Heroes’ powerful message with a wide audience.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs reports anywhere from 17 to 22 veteran suicides every day.

“Many battling post-traumatic stress are convinced that it’s a ‘life sentence’ but as the film clearly shows, that’s simply not true,” said Gier, whose second documentary of 2021, Healing the Heroes of 9/11, was released in September. “Wounded Heroes features veterans that had lost hope but now have their lives back because they sought out alternative methods of treatment and as a result, their PTS is gone. They went from contemplating suicide to living happy fulfilling lives. I want viewers of the film who may be struggling to know that they too can find solutions to help them live happy fulfilling lives.”

SoldierStrong’s donation will allow 2,500 people to view Wounded Heroes for free. Those people interested in learning how to view Wounded Heroes at no cost should send an email to info@soldierstrong.org.

Since SoldierStrong’s inception following the tragic events of 9/11, the organization has donated more than $4.2 million of medical devices to help injured veterans, including robotic exoskeletons and 19 BraveMind posttraumatic stress treatment systems to VA hospitals and other medical facilities. The BraveMind virtual reality technology safely enables the veteran to relive and deconstruct traumatic memories to better cope with the trauma that it created.

Paralyzed Olive Branch vet throws out first pitch at Cubs game

Tyler Densford

Tyler Densford was only a mild baseball fan.

But after having the chance to throw out the first pitch this week at a Chicago Cubs game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Wrigley Field, and listening to the roar of the crowd cheer for him, the paralyzed veteran is an even bigger fan now.

Densford, a 2012 graduate of Lewisburg High School who was paralyzed from the chest down in a freak 2016 helicopter training accident, was able to walk upright to the pitchers mound using an Indego robotic exoskeleton which was donated to him by a family member of the Cubs’s owners.

“It was super awesome,” Densford said. “I came out on a golf cart from right field. They brought me to the dugout. I stood up off the golf cart and walked from there. I told my parents it was the best night of my life.”

Before finishing high school, Densford had earned his private pilot’s license and went on to pursue a career in aviation as a military pilot. Following Basic Military Training, Densford served with the 155th Air Guard Unit in Memphis as an aircraft flight equipment technician.

He was on a training mission in the summer of 2016 when he was accidentally dropped from a Blackhawk helicopter. Densford fell 40 feet and was left paralyzed from the chest down with a T8 spinal cord injury.

“It was a hoist exercise,” Densford said. “The medic fell out and I was attached to him. Then a seat came detached from the carabiner. It was just a series of unfortunate events.”

Densford said the Indego is fairly new technology. The device is a powered exoskeleton that fits to the lower limbs. It enables those like him with spinal cord injuries to stand and walk, and allows them to experience greater mobility and a new level of functional independence.

Densford was part of a four-month program testing a bionic walking system through the St. Louis Veteran’s Administration in 2020, but the study was cut short and he wasn’t able to continue due to COVID.

One of the therapists who worked with him was at a fundraiser showcasing the device and met Sylvie Legere Ricketts and her husband, Todd. The Ricketts are co-owners of the Chicago Cubs, and told her that they wanted to purchase a device and donate it to a veteran. An Indego exoskeleton costs about $100,000.

Densford was one of a handful of veterans who qualified for the device, and after meeting with Sylvie Ricketts, was selected to receive a device through the national nonprofit SoldierStrong. The Ricketts invited him to throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field.

“I am so appreciative of Sylvie and Todd Ricketts,” Densford said. “I can’t say enough about how generous they are and what a great host they were to my family and me in Chicago. They are some of the greatest people I have ever met.”

Densford said the Indego has totally changed his quality of life. The exoskeleton has allowed him to get out of his wheelchair and walk independently.

“It’s pretty neat to see,” Densford said. “It doesn’t completely take away my wheel chair. At this point the battery life isn’t extremely long, only a few hours. And you are limited on the terrain you can go. But going to the gym and going around the walking track at the YMCA, it is really beneficial. And just to know that when I get married some day, that I will be able to stand, it is pretty emotional.”

And for the record, Densford said he is proud of the fact that he did not bounce the pitch to home plate.

“I had been practicing,” Densford said. “I wouldn’t have lived it down if I bounced it.”

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Ensuring Rural Veterans Receive the Mental Health Care They Need

2019 SoldierStrong

Ensuring Rural Veterans Receive the Mental Health Care They Need

By Chris Meek

As both the Veterans Administration (VA) and outside medical professionals and facilities look to expand access to mental health services to reach an even greater number of veterans and subsequently lessen the high rates of suicide within the population, the VA, the healthcare industry at-large and political leadership on the federal and state levels should continue to focus on greater efforts to reach rural veterans.

According to data collected by the Census and American Community Survey (ACS), 25% of veterans live in rural areas of the country. But many rural communities face unique circumstances and challenges surrounding healthcare access, especially in relation to mental health care. Resources at non-VA, rural care centers can be scarce, especially as more rural hospitals and medical care facilities face increasingly difficult financial constraints. The uptick in rural hospital closures, which reached a record high in 2020, leaves a glaring gap in veteran’s healthcare services for those receiving care outside of the VA system that leadership can actively work to close.

This is particularly important when it comes to mental health services. According to the VA’s Office of Rural Health, rural veterans are in fact more likely than their urban counterparts to experience the effects of depression and remain at a considerably higher risk of suicide. This is made worse by the fact that there are significant shortages of trained mental health professionals in rural areas, where a greater number of veterans need their services.

Here are a few steps worth considering to ensure that rural veterans receive the mental health care they need:

1. As several states have already explored, legislatures could consider including budget provisions for the expansion of psychiatric residency programs within their state so that more individuals can receive psychiatric education. Residents who express a particular interest in rural and/or veterans’ mental health could specifically be recruited by schools in states that have a high percentage of individuals in need of mental health care within these populations. Residency programs could also be tailored so that those residents who want to serve rural Americans and veterans have the opportunity to practice medicine directly with those populations. Expanded residency programs and positions would allow for diversity within target focuses in the psychiatry field.

2. Some state legislatures and political leadership have also explored making mental health training available for a wider array of healthcare professionals. Allocating additional resources to provide more rigorous mental health education and training to nurses and healthcare practitioners would help provide more existing points of contact for veterans to receive mental health care from without having to find an additional provider for such services, which as mentioned previously can be a difficult task in rural areas.

3. If approved, President Biden’s recent infrastructure plan would allocate $18 billion for veteran-specific projects, including funding to update and/or replace between 10 and 15 VA hospitals in need of major infrastructure improvements. Though the bill has not been finalized and specific VA hospitals potentially benefiting from the initiative have not been indicated, the administration might consider directing some of that funding to VA hospitals that serve a vast majority of hard to reach portions of the veteran population, including rural veterans. Modernized facilities would better accommodate advancements in technology that could help in the effort to reach a wider swath of the population.

4. Federal legislators should continue to make the commitment to actively produce and support legislation that considers how to better provide for hard-to-reach veterans. H.R. 2441 is a bill which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last month that serves as a great example of targeting specific hard-to-reach sectors within the veteran population. H.R. 2441 not only seeks to expand the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement Program, a Department of Veterans Affairs program which provides much-needed outreach to rural veterans struggling with mental health, but would also require that federal officials actively and ardently study and track the efficacy of mental health services provided in rural areas. If the bill becomes law, it would be a major step forward in improving rural veteran mental health care. Please contact your senators today and encourage them to support H.R. 2441 and similar measures.