In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Dr. CM Queen Williams for a powerful conversation about Army service, military medicine, cancer care, veteran benefits, and finding purpose after burnout.

Dr. Williams shares her journey from immigrating to the United States from Jamaica, to joining the Army as an enlisted soldier, to later becoming a physician and radiation oncologist through military medicine. She talks about paying for school with the GI Bill, going through medical training, serving at major military medical centers, and spending years treating cancer patients in uniform.

The conversation also dives into a mission she cares deeply about today: helping veterans understand cancer-related claims, toxin exposure, presumptive conditions, the PACT Act, and when a strong nexus letter or DBQ actually matters. Ed and Dr. Williams talk honestly about the confusion many veterans face, the poor-quality letters some people are paying too much for, and why specialists need to stay in their lane if they want to truly help.

This episode is about service, reinvention, medical expertise, and using what you have learned to make life easier for the veterans coming behind you.

*Contact Ed Parcaut:**
- 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com)
- 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com)

For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com.

#HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #CMQueenWilliams #VeteranBenefits #PACTAct #ArmyVeteran #MilitaryDoctor #CancerClaims #ToxinExposure #NexusLetter #DBQ #VeteranTransition #WomenVeterans #MilitaryMedicine #VeteransHelpingVeterans

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Faust Ruggiero for a powerful conversation about PTSD, trauma recovery, and what veterans really need in order to heal.

Faust shares lessons from four decades of working with veterans, including why PTSD should not be treated as a simple mental health label and why talk therapy alone often falls short. He explains that trauma affects the body, emotions, and thinking all at once, and that real recovery takes trust, education, commitment, and the right guide.

Ed and Faust also talk honestly about the frustrations many veterans face when trying to get help through the VA, the importance of community care and self-advocacy, how to choose a therapist who actually understands PTSD, and why medication by itself is rarely enough.

This is a practical and hopeful episode about veteran healing, trauma education, and finding a better road map for PTSD recovery.

*Contact Ed Parcaut:**
- 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com)
- 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com)

For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com.

#HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #FaustRuggiero #PTSDRecovery #VeteranPTSD #TraumaRecovery #VeteransMentalHealth #PTSDTreatment #HealingAfterTrauma #TraumaTherapy #LifeAfterService #VeteranHealing #FirstResponderTrauma #MentalHealthSupport #HelpingVeterans

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Josh Brinson for a wide-ranging conversation about military service, transition, fitness, entrepreneurship, and finding purpose after the uniform.

Josh shares how he joined the Navy, became a helicopter aircrew rescue swimmer, and found himself learning nearly every job around the aircraft. He talks about deployments, humanitarian work in Pakistan after the earthquake, the realities of leaving the military without a clear plan, and the challenge so many veterans face when they lose the structure and identity that service once gave them.

The conversation also explores what came next: working with his dad, EMS and fire service, contracting overseas, competitive barbecue, fitness coaching, aviation, business ownership, and raising a family while continuing to evolve. Ed and Josh also touch on PTSD awareness, how trauma can hide in plain sight, and why staying physically and mentally engaged matters so much after service.

This is an honest episode about transition, reinvention, purpose, and staying ready for whatever comes next.

*Contact Ed Parcaut:**
- 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com)
- 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com)

For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com.

#HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #JoshBrinson #VeteranTransition #NavyVeteran #LifeAfterService #VeteranFitness #PurposeAfterService #RescueSwimmer #VeteranEntrepreneur #GuardianStrength #PTSDAwareness #MilitaryTransition #VeteransHelpingVeterans #NextMission

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Eric Goebelbecker for a wide-ranging conversation about Army service, military transition, technology, writing, and the challenge of reinventing yourself after service.

Eric shares why he joined the Army, how family history shaped that decision, and what life looked like serving in Germany as a Hawk continuous wave radar repair specialist during the Cold War era. He talks about loving Germany enough to reenlist, then eventually deciding to leave the Army when the next assignment no longer fit the life he wanted.

From there, the conversation shifts into what many veterans know well: getting out without a perfect plan and figuring it out in real time. Eric explains how his military technical training became the foundation for civilian work in electronics, teleconferencing, factory systems, programming, and eventually Wall Street technology with Reuters. He and Ed also talk about AI, writing, copyright, the future of work, and why adapting matters more than ever.

This is an episode about second acts, learning on the fly, and using the skills you built in uniform to keep creating value in the civilian world.

*Contact Ed Parcaut:**
- 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com)
- 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com)

For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com.

#HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #EricGoebelbecker #VeteranTransition #LifeAfterService #ArmyVeteran #TechCareer #MilitaryToCivilian #VeteranReinvention #SoftwareDeveloper #AuthorLife #AIAndWriting #HelpingVeterans #SecondAct #NextMission

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Ryan Matthews for a conversation about Army service, military working dogs, trauma, entrepreneurship, and purpose after the uniform.

Ryan shares why he chose the Army, how he became a bomb dog handler, and what it was like working with explosive detection dogs on missions that included clearing areas during elections in Iraq. He talks about discovering his love for working dogs, how his understanding of training has evolved over the last twenty-five years, and why the real work is often not just training the dog, but helping the human become more aware, more consistent, and more honest.

The conversation also turns personal. Ryan opens up about surviving stage three colon cancer and a widow-maker heart attack, navigating service connection with the VA, reading more about PTSD, and recognizing how trauma can continue to show up in everyday life. He and Ed also talk about AI, entrepreneurship, and why veterans have a real edge when they apply discipline and drive to building something new.

This is an episode about service, survival, healing, dog training, and using what you have learned to help others move forward.

*Contact Ed Parcaut:**
- 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com)
- 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com)

For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com.

#HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #RyanMatthews #ArmyVeteran #MilitaryWorkingDogs #DogTraining #VeteranTransition #CanineBehavior #ExplosiveDetectionDog #VeteranEntrepreneur #LifeAfterService #PTSDAwareness #HealingAndGrowth #WorkingDogs #NextMission

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Sean Adelman for a thoughtful conversation about Air Force service, military medicine, transition, family, and what it means to keep growing after the uniform comes off.

Sean shares why he chose the Air Force, how military service helped make medical school possible, and what it was like serving as a physician during a period marked by 9/11 and deployments to the Middle East. He also talks about taking care of special operations personnel, the unique culture of military medicine, and the difficulty of leaving a system and identity he thought would last for an entire career.

The conversation goes deeper into veteran transition, self-worth, family, and perspective. Sean opens up about how his daughter with Down syndrome changed the way he measures success, happiness, and impact. He and Ed talk about mentorship, making a difference one person at a time, staying creative, writing books, and how veterans can find meaning again when life does not go the way they expected.

This is an honest episode about service, transition, family, and learning to value the moments that matter most.

*Contact Ed Parcaut:**
- 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com)
- 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com)

For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com.

#HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #SeanAdelman #AirForceVeteran #VeteranTransition #LifeAfterService #MilitaryMedicine #TraumaSurgeon #PurposeAfterService #VeteranMindset #MilitaryFamily #OrthopedicTrauma #ServiceAfterService #VeteransHelpingVeterans #NextMission

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Scott Lackey for a conversation about Army service, Desert Storm, military transition, endurance, writing, and what it means to keep rebuilding after life gets hard.

Scott shares why he chose the Army, how he served in tactical telecommunications, and how a surprising assignment in Germany eventually led him into a front-row view of leadership and responsibility. He also talks about serving during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the chaos of early deployment conditions, and the lasting impact of military experiences that are not always easy to explain.

The conversation goes far beyond service history. Scott opens up about how difficult civilian life was after leaving the military, why his "make it happen" mindset did not translate the way he expected, and how years later he found himself confronting a list of broken promises to himself during COVID. That self-examination led him toward endurance goals like the Ironman and eventually toward writing his book, Wake Up to Die Again.

This is an honest episode about veteran transition, identity, discipline, endurance, trauma, and learning how to keep your promises to yourself when no one else can do it for you.

*Contact Ed Parcaut:**
- 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com)
- 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com)

For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com.

#HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #ScottLackey #ArmyVeteran #DesertStorm #VeteranTransition #LifeAfterService #VeteranReinvention #IronmanMindset #MentalToughness #VeteranAuthor #PurposeAfterService #MilitaryToCivilian #EnduranceAthlete #WakeUpToDieAgain

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Fenix Shepard for a powerful and deeply honest conversation about Navy service, military sexual trauma, PTSD, addiction, faith, forgiveness, and healing.

Fenix shares why she joined the Navy after 9/11, how she served aboard the USS Vella Gulf and USS Preble, and how her life changed after being assaulted during service. She talks openly about the impact of military sexual trauma, the years of addiction and instability that followed, and the moment she finally reached out to the VA for help.

The conversation also explores what recovery looked like over time. Fenix became what she calls a "yes person" to healing, saying yes to therapy, DBT, CBT, military sexual trauma groups, VA support, fitness, sobriety, spirituality, and the companionship of her PTSD service dog, Marley. She also shares how her memoir, Love Unconditional, came from her conversations with Christ and her long journey back to purpose.

Ed and Fenix talk about trauma, forgiveness, military culture, women in service, VA mental health care, community care, service dogs, and the tools Fenix now uses to help others, including Havening techniques, neuro linguistic programming, and hypnotherapy.

This episode is about surviving what should have broken you, choosing help, and using your healing to become a light for someone else.

*Contact Ed Parcaut:**
- 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com)
- 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com)

For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com.

#HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #FenixShepard #NavyVeteran #PTSDRecovery #MilitarySexualTrauma #MSTSurvivor #VeteranMentalHealth #TraumaHealing #VeteranRecovery #ServiceDog #FaithAndHealing #SobrietyJourney #VeteransHelpingVeterans #LoveUnconditional