Minneapolis VA Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder Center

On this week’s episode of Minnesota Military Radio, we visit the Minneapolis VA Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder Center (SCI/D) to learn about the lifelong rehabilitation and comprehensive care available to Veterans, then discuss the vaccinations that can help keep them healthy this season.

Guests:

The Minneapolis VA SCI/D Center is one of approximately 25 national hubs in the VA system. It supports Veterans with both traumatic injuries and non-traumatic conditions such as MS or ALS through an interdisciplinary team and a Midwest hub-and-spoke network. Listeners will hear how the team helps Veterans adjust, set goals at their own pace, and build independence, along with details on specialized equipment, peer mentoring, family training, and the difference between inpatient and outpatient care. A new video that walks through the inpatient experience is available on the Minneapolis VA YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Megan Daman also shares practical guidance on this season’s vaccinations, including flu shot walk-in clinics on Thursdays, October 22, October 29, and November 5, from 1 pm – 3 pm at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), plus information on the COVID-19, shingles, and pneumococcal vaccines.

Click here for more information about the Minneapolis VA Medical Center & CBOCs Flu Shot Clinic

Tune in to hear the full conversation about the care and resources available to Veterans.

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Every Third Saturday and BTYR Hero Meals

Every Third Saturday and Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

On this week’s episode of Minnesota Military Radio, we explore how Every Third Saturday helps Veterans and their families find hope, purpose, and community after military service, then highlight Beyond the Yellow Ribbon’s Hero Meals program and the partnerships providing year-round food support to Minnesota’s service members, Veterans, and military families.

Guests:

Tom McKenna, a Marine Corps Veteran, shares how Every Third Saturday began in 2009 with simple distributions of clothing and personal items and has grown into a permanent facility near the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. The organization focuses on dignity and respect—Veterans are treated as members, not clients. Inside the building is Rick’s Coffee Bar, which runs a paid Veteran internship program. McKenna also discusses the Walk to Stay in the Fight and the new Fire Teams initiative for proactive support. Anyone can connect by calling (952) 356-5116, visiting everythirdsaturday.org, or walking in.

Later, Stefanie Hurt explains Beyond the Yellow Ribbon’s Hero Meals initiative, which partners with Meals From the Heart and others to deliver seasonal meal kits through Operation Turkey Drop, Operation Merry Meals, Sweetheart Meals, and Food Fairy. In the 2025 holiday season and spring 2026, the program distributed 900 meal kits totaling about 81,000 individual servings and supported nearly 5,000 service members, Veterans, and family members across Minnesota. Listeners can contribute at mealsfromtheheart.org.

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Air Force Warrant Officers and DAV United in Service

Air Force Warrant Officers and DAV United in Service

On this week’s episode of Minnesota Military Radio, we look at the return of warrant officers to the Air Force and what that means for the Minnesota National Guard, then turn to a statewide tribute and claims effort from Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota.

Guests:

Across the first three segments, Chief Homme and Chief Volkmeier explain why the Air Force brought warrant officers back after ending the rank in 1959: to keep technical experts in place, beginning in cyber, and to steady sections that otherwise lose knowledge each time leaders rotate. Chief Volkmeier, recognized as Minnesota’s first Air Force warrant officer since the program returned, describes the path from enlisted network technician to Chief Warrant Officer 2 — ten years on active duty, service in the 210th Engineering Installation Squadron, an application encouraged by peers, and eight weeks of warrant officer training at Maxwell Air Force Base. Day to day, the work has shifted from pulling cable to project engineering: setting up jobs, ordering materials, and giving a commander technical options. The conversation also covers who the Air Guard looks for in applicants, the difference between enlisted, warrant, and commissioned responsibilities, and the misconceptions that a warrant officer is only a technician, or is rarely around. Both guests talk about growing the cohort so more warrant officers can be placed where they are needed, including the possibility of a future position with the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth. Chief Homme, in his final months as the state’s senior warrant officer advisor, compares the new Air track with the Army warrant officer program and reflects on a career that began in 1986 and closes with his last day in uniform on November 30.

Later in the show, Adjutant Stephen “Butch” Whitehead and Angel Fields Mitchell preview United in Service, a traveling exhibit created by Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota. This year’s theme is that every Veteran has a story. From October 15–18, the experience is at the North End Event Center on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, with more than 12,000 square feet indoors, military vehicles outside, a Tribute Garden of personalized tags, and the recorded stories of 13 Veterans spanning 250 years of military history. Visitors can hear those stories in a theater or by QR code, and families who want a story captured for a future stop are encouraged to find a volunteer on site. On Friday, October 16, and Saturday, October 17, 9 am – 4 pm, a Rapid Claims Clinic brings Department of Veterans Affairs staff, DAV accredited service officers, and County Veterans Service Officers together so Veterans can file a new claim or revisit an older one. A decision may not be issued that day, but the clinic is built to move a packet as far as possible, with a dedicated team at the Federal Building at Fort Snelling continuing the work. A job and resource fair and state-benefit tables run alongside the clinic. Admission is free. Register for a claims appointment at unitedinservicemn.org or davmn.org.

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The SOAR Program: Helping Veterans Navigate SSI and SSDI

The SOAR Program: Helping Veterans Navigate SSI and SSDI

On this week’s episode of Minnesota Military Radio, we explore how the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and the SOAR program help eligible Veterans and family members navigate the Social Security disability process.

Guests:

SOAR—SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery—is a nationally recognized advocacy model adapted by MDVA for the Veteran experience. The program is free and available to eligible Minnesota Veterans and their families, including National Guard and Reserve members—even without a deployment. Eligibility may be based on Minnesota residency, military service, being a spouse or surviving spouse of someone who served, if you have a disability expected to last at least 12 months, or are experiencing or being at risk of homelessness. There are no barriers based on discharge status, and every eligible applicant receives the same offer of support.

SOAR advocates can assist Veterans at any stage, from an initial claim through reconsideration or a hearing before an administrative law judge. They help determine which benefits to pursue, gather medical and military records, and translate a person’s functional limitations—such as challenges with lifting, standing, concentration, pace, or attendance—into information relevant to Social Security’s review.

The episode also features a Marine Corps Veteran who connected with SOAR through a VA community outreach clinic after experiencing years of untreated needs, job loss, and homelessness. After an initial denial, SOAR provided representation through the hearing process and ultimately helped the Veteran secure their benefits that are being used to help cover household expenses and repay family members who provided support.

The message is simple: Don’t let fear of a denial keep you from applying.

Veterans can self-refer at MinnesotaVeteran.org/SOAR or connect through their County Veteran Service Officer or LinkVet at 1-888-546-5838. SOAR also works with partners including the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, Homeless Veteran Registry, Every Third Saturday, Union Gospel Mission in St. Paul, and the St. Cloud VA.

Through patient, Veteran-to-Veteran advocacy, SOAR is helping Minnesota Veterans and their families pursue stable income while working toward housing and other support. It’s never too late to reach out.

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