What if the best therapy for a veteran wasn’t in a clinic but in the ground?

Stephen Humphreys is a former Air Force officer, PhD archaeologist, and co-founder of American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) — the only organization in the United States using professional battlefield archaeology to build long-term careers for veterans. AVAR crews have worked Saratoga, Fort Ticonderoga, the Battle of Camden, and are headed to Bunker Hill. Through a partnership with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, they have helped bring home the remains of three WWII service members lost for eight decades.

Humphreys talks about why veterans belong on these sites, what archaeology gives them that most programs can’t, and why purpose — not sympathy — is what actually changes lives.

Also in this episode: a myth-or-fact battlefield archaeology edition that covers what’s still left to find at Revolutionary War sites and whether WWII remains can still come home after 80 years. Plus, a Navy sailor opens a Monster Energy drink and finds something that was definitely not on the label.

Your stories. Your service. Your community. This is Tango Alpha Lima.

SHOW NOTES

• Learn more about the birth of NASA
• Ad Break: S.O.A.R.
• Learn more about Veterans Curation Program
• Dig deeper into Stephen's work with AVAR
• Enter the Drive for Freedom Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Humvee!
• Join The American Legion