VET S.O.S. Presents The Scoop

About VET S.O.S. Presents The Scoop

The Scoop is where leaders, disruptors, innovators, and advocates from across the veteran ecosystem come together to share insights that matter. From career experts to nonprofit founders, mental-health champions, authors, educators, entrepreneurs, and policy voices—this show offers thoughtful conversations that challenge perspectives and spark meaningful action. Hosted by the VET S.O.S. Network, The Scoop goes beyond transition and dives into the broader issues shaping the lives of veterans, military families, and the organizations that support them.

Publisher

Kingsley Scott, Shawn Welsh

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Jul 2025

Latest episode

17 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

69 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Oct 2026

   Cancer Changed the Mission: A Veteran’s Guide to Self-Advocacy

   ⚡ Fighting cancer is hard enough. You shouldn’t have to fight the healthcare system at the same time. After nearly 30 years in the Army, Patrick Naughton knew how to plan operations, lead soldiers, and adapt under pressure. Then a colonoscopy revealed a mass roughly the size of a baseball, leading to a stage III colorectal cancer diagnosis—and a second battle Patrick never expected: navigating TRICARE while fighting for his health. What makes this conversation different is what Patrick learned the hard way. From getting a TRICARE case manager to controlling your own medical records, planning for the active-duty-to-retiree healthcare gap, and building a “medical go bag,” Patrick gives service members and veterans practical lessons he wishes someone had given him on day one. In this episode, you'll discover: • Take action after a serious diagnosis by asking your military treatment facility about a referral for a TRICARE case manager who can help navigate referrals, denials, and coordination of care. • Become the “control tower” for your healthcare by maintaining access to your records, labs, procedures, specialist portals, and treatment information instead of assuming every provider is communicating with the others. • Prepare for the transition from active duty to veteran healthcare by planning ahead for medications, appointments, records, and treatment needed to bridge potential gaps in continuity of care. • Build a medical go bag with a notepad, documented conversations, calendar, medical records, medications, and a system for tracking who owns the next step in your care. • Recognize that asking for help is part of the fight. Patrick kept his diagnosis largely private during treatment and describes the loneliness that followed. His message now: you do not have to go through it alone. About Patrick Naughton: Patrick Naughton served nearly 30 years in the U.S. Army, beginning as an enlisted infantryman in 1996 before becoming an NCO and later commissioning through ROTC. His career included deployments, leadership positions, and teaching at the Command and General Staff College. Now medically retired, Patrick describes himself not as a cancer survivor but as a “cancer warrior” because continued labs, CT scans, colonoscopies, and monitoring remain part of his life. He is also an author and uses his experience to help others navigating cancer, military healthcare, writing, and publishing. Connect with Patrick: patnaught.com ⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS 05:51 - Patrick’s 30-Year Army Story 07:27 - The Colonoscopy That Changed Everything 10:25 - Using Military Planning to Fight Cancer 16:23 - When TRICARE Became the Second Battle 18:12 - What to Do After a Serious Diagnosis 20:49 - The TRICARE Resource Patrick Learned About Too Late 26:29 - Become the Control Tower for Your Medical Records 31:26 - Transitioning Out While Still Fighting Cancer 38:45 - Your Family Is Fighting the Battle Too 47:28 - “You Are Not Alone” 50:21 - Admitting You’re Scared and Asking for Help 54:44 - Who Takes Care of the Warrior? 1:00:50 - When the Battlefield Changes, Change With It 1:04:57 - Building Your Medical Go Bag 1:10:00 - Lifeline Message: Let Others Fight Beside You 🎧 Explore the Full VET S.O.S. Network: ▶ VET S.O.S. — Flagship Show ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Learning Lifeline ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: The Scoop ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Testimony Strong 🔗 Connect with VET S.O.S.: Website: vetsospodcast.com Twitter/X: @vetsospodcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vetsospodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@vetsospodcast Facebook: facebook.com/vetsospodcast Instagram: instagram.com/vetsospodcast TikTok: tiktok.com/@vetsospodcast #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #MilitaryHealthcare #VeteranHealthcare #MilitaryTransition #CancerWarrior

2. 

   10 Oct 2026

   When the War Ends but the Warrior Keeps Fighting — Robert Mitchell

   Coming home from war doesn’t mean the battle is over. What happens when the warrior inside you keeps fighting? Vietnam veteran and Army helicopter pilot Robert Mitchell survived combat, a fiery helicopter crash, severe burns, and nearly eight months in a military hospital. But surviving Vietnam was only the beginning of his journey home. In this deeply personal conversation, Robert explores the idea of the “warrior spirit”—the part of a person awakened through military training and combat that doesn't simply disappear when the uniform comes off. His search for healing eventually took him from Vietnam to Europe and the Greek village of Mirtos, becoming the foundation for his book Journey to Mirtos. In this episode, you'll discover: • Recognize why coming home physically doesn't always mean you've returned emotionally—and why Robert describes that unfinished feeling as remaining inside the battle. • Understand the moment Robert's perception of war collided with its moral reality when a young helicopter pilot was ordered to kill a Vietnamese civilian who refused an interrogation command. • Hear how Robert's Vietnam tour ended in seconds when a passenger jumped onto his helicopter during a slope landing, rupturing the fuel tank and triggering the fiery crash that severely burned him. • Explore why healing doesn't necessarily mean eliminating the warrior spirit. Robert describes transforming the killer instinct awakened by war into an instrument of justice and healing. About Robert Mitchell Robert Mitchell served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, including service with the 1st Cavalry Division. After his helicopter crash and lengthy recovery, his search for meaning eventually took him through Europe and Greece and became part of the journey documented in Journey to Mirtos. He later spent 27 years teaching junior high and high school, a transformation he describes as moving from the warrior archetype to the teacher archetype. 🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow the show and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — open the app, search VET S.O.S. Presents: The Scoop, scroll down, and tap “Write a Review.” It takes 30 seconds and puts this show in front of a veteran who needs it right now. ⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 - When the War Ends but the Warrior Keeps Fighting 03:23 - Robert Mitchell's Journey to Vietnam 08:51 - Training to Become a Combat Helicopter Pilot 16:06 - Mythology and the Warrior Spirit 22:55 - Tet Offensive: Robert's Introduction to Combat 26:40 - What Is the Warrior Spirit? 29:57 - Seeing the Enemy as Human 34:16 - When War Collided With Morality 37:49 - The Helicopter Crash That Ended His Vietnam Tour 41:21 - The “Failed Initiation” That Followed Him Home 43:43 - Coming Home Physically, but Not Internally 51:10 - Leaving America in Search of Healing 59:28 - The Dream That Forced Him to Confront Death 1:01:34 - Transforming the Warrior Spirit 1:06:41 - Journey to Mirtos and Robert's Books 1:08:42 - Stop Fighting Yesterday's Battle 🎧 Explore the Full VET S.O.S. Network ▶ VET S.O.S. — Flagship Show ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Learning Lifeline ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: The Scoop ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Testimony Strong 🔗 Connect with VET S.O.S. Website: vetsospodcast.com Twitter: @vetsospodcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vetsospodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@vetsospodcast Facebook: facebook.com/vetsospodcast Instagram: instagram.com/vetsospodcast TikTok: tiktok.com/@vetsospodcast #VETSOS #VeteranPodcast #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #MilitaryTransition #VeteranMentalHealth #CombatVeteran #VietnamVeteran #Podcast #Veterans #MilitaryLife

3. 

   3 Oct 2026

   Why Female Veterans' Stories Are Still Going Unheard

   Female veterans have always been part of the story. The question is whether we've actually been listening. EPISODE PREMISE What happens when you stop telling veterans' stories for them and create enough trust for them to tell those stories themselves? Author Susan L. Combs returns to The Scoop to discuss Wonder Woman: The Untold Stories of Female Veterans—built from hours of conversations with 12 women whose experiences span military leadership, deployments, motherhood, discrimination, sexual assault, resilience, and life after service. Susan recorded their conversations, returned their chapters to them, and gave each woman final authority over what she was ready to share. In this episode, you'll discover: • Recognize the veterans you may be overlooking — and why Susan intentionally designed the book cover without showing the women's faces to challenge the traditional image of what a veteran looks like. • Understand why responsible storytelling requires consent, not just accuracy — including why some women removed deeply personal experiences from their chapters and others stepped away from the project entirely. • See the hidden cost military service can have on families through Callie's story of leaving three children under five for deployment and Jill's experience later sending her own sons into military service. • Hear the common thread connecting 12 very different military journeys: a desire to serve something bigger than themselves—and the people beside them who made service meaningful. About Susan L. Combs: Susan L. Combs is an author, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Pancakes for Roger, a nonprofit supporting veterans and military families. The daughter of a retired major general, Susan grew up surrounded by military service and carried that perspective into Wonder Woman: The Untold Stories of Female Veterans, giving 12 women the space to tell their military stories in their own voices. 🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow the show and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — open the app, search VET S.O.S. Presents: The Scoop, scroll down, and tap “Write a Review.” It takes 30 seconds and puts this show in front of a veteran who needs it right now. ⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction: Are We Actually Listening? 05:07 — What's Changed Since Susan's First Visit 07:33 — The Story Behind the Wonder Woman Cover 10:23 — The Moment the Book Idea Took Shape 13:22 — Finding the Women Behind the Stories 15:31 — Giving Veterans Ownership of Their Stories 17:31 — Motherhood, Deployment & the Cost to Families 22:15 — The Responsibility of Telling Someone Else's Story 24:48 — Protecting What Someone Isn't Ready to Share 26:18 — Discrimination, Identity & Angie's Story 32:17 — Why Female Veterans Can Become Invisible 35:32 — Four Decades of Service: Rita's Story 38:20 — What Happens When Veterans See Themselves in the Book 40:09 — Six Questions That Opened 12 Different Stories 41:10 — “What's the Syrup?” Finding the Good Stuff 46:10 — Could There Be More Wonder Woman Stories? 51:40 — What Susan Wants Female Veterans to Know 53:31 — The Common Thread: Something Bigger Than Yourself 58:14 — Stop Trying to Be “One of the Guys” 59:24 — The Book & Pancakes for Roger Veteran Grants 1:04:04 — The Challenge: Find Her, See Her, Hear Her 1:07:10 — Closing: Give Yourself the First Chance 🎧 Explore the Full VET S.O.S. Network: ▶ VET S.O.S. — Flagship Show ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Learning Lifeline ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: The Scoop ▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Testimony Strong 🔗 Connect with VET S.O.S.: Website: vetsospodcast.com Twitter/X: @vetsospodcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vetsospodcast YouTube: youtube.com/@vetsospodcast Facebook: facebook.com/vetsospodcast Instagram: instagram.com/vetsospodcast TikTok: tiktok.com/@vetsospodcast #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #TheScoop #FemaleVeterans #WomenVeterans #VeteranStories #MilitaryWomen #MilitaryTransition #Veterans

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact VET S.O.S. Presents The Scoop

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.