Holding Down the Fort by US VetWealth

Latest Episodes:

125: "Deployment sucks. But where can I find beauty and opportunity in the midst of it?" Deployment countdown boxes with Becky Hoy Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

Hey there, listener! Thank you for checking out our older seasons! As of September 2025, we have revamped our website! So if any episodes or links seem to be missing, don't hesitate to contact Jen at jen@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com

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125: "Deployment sucks. But where can I find beauty and opportunity in the midst of it?" Deployment countdown boxes with Becky Hoy

Lately, Becky Hoy has been making space to adjust to the unexpectedness of deployments and how the world is evolving. Becky is a U.S. Army Spouse of 10 years, Founder of Brave Crate, and Co-Founder of PILLAR. She observes how the military community has made space for connection during a pandemic, how wishing her life away during a deployment inspired Brave Crate, how she's reframed the time of deployment, how military families have very unique financial situations, and much more.

Connect with Becky Hoy:

Deployment is tough. But you don't have to do it alone. PILLAR is all about simplifying and bringing joy to your deployment countdown. That's why we're bringing together 25 experienced military spouses and lifestyle experts together to share strategies that can help you make every moment count while you're counting down deployment! Join the waitlist for 2022 today at https://pillardeploymentretreat.com/

For our latest updates: https://mailchi.mp/1271e485f1f0/holdingdownthefort

Guest Applications are now open! Apply to be on our show at https://forms.gle/YdoNX9aR8RTEKpnCA

Stay updated! Subscribe to our newsletter http://eepurl.com/gTTOdT

Connect with our co-hosts Jen Amos jen@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com and Jenny Lynne Stroup https://jennylynnestroup.com/ or jennylynne@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com

Visit our website https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/

This show is sponsored by US VetWealth

Get FREE access to the Military Spouse's ToolKit for Agile and Purposeful Employment https://usvetwealth.com/military-spouses-toolkit-for-agile-and-purposeful-employment/
Or listen to Holding Down the Fort's sister show, The Spouse Benefit Plan, at http://thespousebenefitplan.com/

September 2021, the show made the Final Slate in the 16th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards for the Government & Organizations category. November 2020, Jen Amos and Holding Down the Fort Podcast was awarded
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/subscribe

124: "Life is not happening to me. I am actively choosing to be present and a participant in this life." Recovering Type A personality and bullying amongst military spouses with Emily Millman Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

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124: "Life is not happening to me. I am actively choosing to be present and a participant in this life." Recovering Type A personality and bullying amongst military spouses with Emily Millman

Military Spouse, physical and mental health advocate and nurse Emily Millman chooses to see military life as an interesting adventure. She shares her experience transporting her dogs from South Korea to the states, how she copes with the complete loss of autonomy, bullying amongst military spouses, the importance of mental health, and much more.

Connect with Emily at https://www.instagram.com/scrubs.squats.sass/

For our latest updates: https://mailchi.mp/1271e485f1f0/holdingdownthefort

Guest Applications are now open! Apply to be on our show at https://forms.gle/YdoNX9aR8RTEKpnCA

Stay updated! Subscribe to our newsletter http://eepurl.com/gTTOdT

Connect with our co-hosts Jen Amos jen@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com and Jenny Lynne Stroup https://jennylynnestroup.com/ or jennylynne@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com

Visit our website https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/

This show is sponsored by US VetWealth

Get FREE access to the Military Spouse's ToolKit for Agile and Purposeful Employment https://usvetwealth.com/military-spouses-toolkit-for-agile-and-purposeful-employment/
Or listen to Holding Down the Fort's sister show, The Spouse Benefit Plan, at http://thespousebenefitplan.com/

September 2021, the show made the Final Slate in the 16th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards for the Government & Organizations category. November 2020, Jen Amos and Holding Down the Fort Podcast was awarded “Media Professional of the Year” at The Rosie Network Entrepreneur Awards! We've also been featured in multiple media outlets including Legacy Magazine, U.S. Veterans Magazine, The American MilSpouse, VeteranCrowd Network, It's
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/subscribe

BONUS: "We need our stories to make the data come alive. We also need the data to affirm our stories." Blue Star Families' FlyerTalk Friday hosted by Dr. Geri Lynn Maples Nov 19, 2021

Show notes

BONUS: "We need our stories to make the data come alive. We also need the data to affirm our stories." Blue Star Families' FlyerTalk Friday hosted by Dr. Geri Lynn Maples

Past guest Dr. Geri Lynn Maples invites Jen and Jenny Lynne to talk about Holding Down the Fort and their relationship as co-hosts to the Blue Star Families of Dayton & Southwestern Ohio Facebook Live Show "FlyerTalk Friday!" They share why Holding Down the Fort started, how Jenny Lynne came on as a co-host, how they showcase all the different aspects of military life, and much more.

Watch the Facebook Live replay of this interview on the Blue Star Families of Dayton & Southwestern Ohio Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OHBSF/videos/969790760237495/

For the edited version: https://youtu.be/N3q3yEzeLfI

Listen to Geri's past interviews with us:

105: "I live and breath by my calendar. Doing this is my self care." Blue Star Families of Dayton & Southwestern Ohio and caregiving in military families with Dr. Geri Lynn Maples https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/episode/105
056: Military Caregivers and Blue Star Families with Dr. Geri Lynn Maples https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/episode/056

For our latest updates: https://mailchi.mp/1271e485f1f0/holdingdownthefort

Guest Applications are now open! Apply to be on our show at https://forms.gle/YdoNX9aR8RTEKpnCA

Stay updated! Subscribe to our newsletter http://eepurl.com/gTTOdT

Connect with our co-hosts Jen Amos jen@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com and Jenny Lynne Stroup https://jennylynnestroup.com/ or jennylynne@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com

Visit our website https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/

This show is sponsored by US VetWealth

Get FREE access to the Military Spouse's ToolKit for Agile and Purposeful Employment https://usvetwealth.com/military-spouses-toolkit-for-agile-and-purposeful-employment/
Or listen to Holding Down the Fort's sister show, The Spouse Benefit Plan, at http://thespousebenefitplan.com/

September 2021, the show made the Final Slate in the 16th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards for the Government & Organizations category. November 2020, Jen Amos and Holding Down the Fort Podcast was awarded “Media Professional of the Year” at The Rosie Network Entrepreneur Awards! We've also been featured in multiple media outlets including Legacy...
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/subscribe

123: "Nobody's broken. We all have imperfections, and that's okay." Personalized meal recommendations and resilience techniques with Manda Lynn McVey Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

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123: "Nobody's broken. We all have imperfections, and that's okay." Personalized meal recommendations and resilience techniques with Manda Lynn McVey

Manda Lynn McVey returns from episode 69 to update us on her life as an Army Wife, Holistic Wellness Practitioner and Spouse Master Resilience Trainer, and Founder of The Healitary Spouse. She shares her most recent PCS experience, her and her family's go-to breathing technique for stress management, her latest studies, how she chose the name, "The Healitary Spouse," and much more.

Connect with Manda Lynn

Listen to Manda Lynn's last episode with us, 069: Coaching military spouses and significant others on building resiliency and wellness with a focus on mindfulness, nutrition, and volunteerism with Manda Lynn McVey https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/episode/069

For our latest updates: https://mailchi.mp/1271e485f1f0/holdingdownthefort

Support free art and comedy classes to veterans, service members, military family members, and caregivers by attending Jen's Storytelling Bootcamp Graduation Show by the Armed Services Arts Program on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 8 PM (EST) via Zoom. Purchase your ticket for "Storytelling Bootcamp Grad Show – Bravo" at https://asapasap.org/attend-a-show/

Special thanks to The Rosie Network for the invitation to participate in the ceremony, congratulate the award winners, and update the community on our journey since we won 2020 Media Professional of the Year! Watch now at https://youtu.be/pd9agrNEpUQ

Guest Applications are now open! Apply to be on our show at https://forms.gle/YdoNX9aR8RTEKpnCA

Stay updated! Subscribe to our newsletter http://eepurl.com/gTTOdT

Connect with our co-hosts Jen Amos jen@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com and Jenny Lynne Stroup https://jennylynnestroup.com/ or jennylynnestroup379@gmail.com

Visit our website
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/subscribe

122: “If the family can't be physically together during the holidays, how do we still get that connection?” Managing holiday expectations with Dr. Leah Blain & Joanna Goldstein, LCSW Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

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122: “If the family can't be physically together during the holidays, how do we still get that connection?” Managing holiday expectations with Dr. Leah Blain & Joanna Goldstein, LCSW

Dr. Leah Blain & Joanna Goldstein, LCSW join us from the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania to help military families prepare for the holidays. Together, they share how they help veterans and military family members make it "back to better," how serving the military community has personally kept them going during the pandemic, and the importance of taking care of your mental health during the holidays.

Resources

If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, there are caring, qualified Veterans Affairs responders standing by to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 or visit https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
Vets4Warriors provides sustained, confidential peer support to any veteran, service member, family member, or caregiver whenever they have an issue, wherever they are in the world. We help before challenges turn into crises. Call 1-855-838-8255 or visit https://www.vets4warriors.com/
Military OneSource from the Department of Defense is your 24/7 gateway to trusted information, resources and confidential help. When MilLife happens, it’s your “first line of support” — giving service members and military families tools to stay well and thrive. Learn more at https://www.militaryonesource.mil/
Brought to you by CVN and Blue Star Families, Tools for Managing Stress and Worry provides research-based strategies, tools and techniques to help manage stress and worry. The course was designed by mental health experts with input from military family members themselves. Learn more at https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/toolsforstress/
In addition to providing vital mental health services, each Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic has become a pillar in its community in part due to a wide variety of workshops, seminars, partner gatherings, and other events held in the community rooms in each location. Learn more at https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/cvnpresents/
To find a Cohen Veterans Network clinic near you, visit https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/clinics/

For our latest updates: https://mailchi.mp/1271e485f1f0/holdingdownthefort

Special thanks to The Rosie...
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/subscribe

BONUS: "My father’s absence reflects the incredible impact he made while he was alive." A Military Father's Legacy of Love & Community with Jen Amos Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

BONUS: "My father’s absence reflects the incredible impact he made while he was alive." A Military Father's Legacy of Love & Community with Jen Amos

"According to those who knew my father, Alfonso Apdal Amos was a kind, simple, humble and unassuming man. In between the time he served in the Philippine Army in the 1970s to joining the US Navy in the 1980s, he faced many hardships including dropping out of school and food insecurities. One would assume that someone with my father’s struggles would make him a cold, hard-to-deal-with person. But not my father. He worked hard, cared deeply, and never complained."

In observance of Veterans Day, Jen Amos shares her father's military history. Excavating and telling her father's story is possible thanks to the help of the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis and The Price of Freedom Foundation. Read the full article at https://scalar.usc.edu/works/fpahm-timeline-project/family-memories-military-fathers-legacy

Learn more about the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis and donate at https://bulosancenter.ucdavis.edu/

Learn more about The Price of Freedom Foundation and donate at https://priceoffreedomfoundation.org/ or check out our last conversation with the founder Dennis Schroader at https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/episode/bonus-2021-09-26

For our latest updates: https://mailchi.mp/8bfc59e06fa5/holdingdownthefort

Guest Applications are now open! Apply to be on our show at https://forms.gle/YdoNX9aR8RTEKpnCA

Stay updated! Subscribe to our newsletter http://eepurl.com/gTTOdT

Connect with our co-hosts Jen Amos jen@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com and Jenny Lynne Stroup https://jennylynnestroup.com/ or jennylynnestroup379@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/

This show is sponsored by US VetWealth

Get FREE access to the Military Spouse's ToolKit for Agile and Purposeful Employment
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/subscribe

121: "It's important to have interests outside of the military because the military does not last forever." Using writing as an outlet and post-military life with Jessica Silva Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

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121: "It's important to have interests outside of the military because the military does not last forever." Using writing as an outlet and post-military life with Jessica Silva

Jessica Silva returns to the show to update us on post-military life (after being a military spouse for 22 years), transition tips, and her book for military kids, Daddy's on a Chip. She reflects on the last two years since their family transitioned to civilian life, how writing was her outlet when she couldn't sleep, how her adult children are now doing, the importance of having interests and friends outside of the military community, and much more.

Purchase a copy of Daddy's On a Chip at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicaSilvaBooks

Connect with Jessica Silva at: https://www.instagram.com/jsilva0/

Listen to Jessica's last conversation with us from episode 94: https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/episode/094

Holding Down the For now has a sister podcast: The Spouse Benefit Plan, which'll focus on helping career military families make the most important decision before transition: to keep or opt out of the Survivor Benefit Plan. Listen to the teaser episode now at https://youtu.be/5Tc8zq3hS8k

Guest Applications are now open! Apply to be on our show at https://forms.gle/YdoNX9aR8RTEKpnCA

Stay updated! Subscribe to our newsletter http://eepurl.com/gTTOdT

Connect with our co-hosts Jen Amos jen@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com and Jenny Lynne Stroup https://jennylynnestroup.com/ or jennylynnestroup379@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/

This show is sponsored by US VetWealth

Get FREE access to the Military Spouse's ToolKit for Agile and Purposeful Employment
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/subscribe

120: "Within the military dad story, there's trauma, sadness and ugliness. There's also richness within that story." Bringing every dad home with Ben Killoy Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

119: "I have a Distillery, you have a Harrier…do you want to fly some bourbon on it?" Collaborating with fellow veteran businesses with Scott Sanders Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

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119: "I have a Distillery, you have a Harrier…do you want to fly some bourbon on it?" Collaborating with fellow veteran businesses with Scott Sanders

When trying new ideas, Admiral, Distiller and Patriot Scott Sanders will often say, "I don’t know, but we’re going to try." Despite the big budgets Scott was used to in the military, he had to learn how to have a lean startup mentality as an entrepreneur. He shares how Tobacco Barn Distillery began, why he chose to produce bourbon, his seamless transition to post-military life, being a lifelong learner, and much more.

Connect with Scott Sanders at https://www.tobaccobarndistillery.com/ or email Scott at scott@tobaccobarndistillery.com

Check out his feature, "Veterans join forces to create bourbon at 700 mph" on CNBC from Veterans Day 2020 at https://youtu.be/f9erSxvAAW4

Guest Applications are now open! Apply to be on our show at https://forms.gle/YdoNX9aR8RTEKpnCA

Stay updated! Subscribe to our newsletter http://eepurl.com/gTTOdT

Visit our website https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/

Connect with our co-hosts Jen Amos jen@holdingdownthefortpodcast.com and Jenny Lynne Stroup https://jennylynnestroup.com/ or jennylynnestroup379@gmail.com

Sponsored by US VetWealth: Get FREE access to the Military Spouse's ToolKit for Agile and Purposeful Employment https://usvetwealth.com/military-spouses-toolkit-for-agile-and-purposeful-employment/

September 2021, the show made the Final Slate in the 16th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards for the Government & Organizations category. November 2020, Jen Amos and Holding Down the Fort Podcast was awarded “Media Professional of the Year” at The Rosie Network Entrepreneur Awards! We've also been featured in multiple media outlets including Legacy Magazine, U.S. Veterans Magazine, The American MilSpouse, VeteranCrowd Network, It's a Military Life,
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/subscribe

118: "I have my own identity. I'm also a military spouse. That's part of me, too." Embracing and serving the military spouse community with Britt Lanza Nov 01, 2021

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