Latest / Connecting the Dots / Code, Courage, and Connection: How Technology Serves Those Who Served

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Code, Courage, and Connection: How Technology Serves Those Who Served · Connecting the Dots

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  Today's tech news moves fast, but understanding
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  it shouldn't be hard. That's why Snarfl Solutions
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  Group brings you Connecting the Dots, where we
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  break down what's happening in tech and why it
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  matters to you. Now, let's dive in with your
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  hosts. Welcome back to Connecting the Dots. I'm
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  Alex. And I'm Morgan. Great to be with you today.
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  We are coming to you live on Tuesday, November
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  11th, 2025. A beautiful, crisp autumn day here
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  in Sacramento. Quick look at the markets before
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  we dive in Dow and Nasdaq seem to be holding
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  steady a bit of green bitcoins hovering around
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  well Its usual unpredictable self generally things
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  look calm, which is good because today we're
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  shifting focus slightly That's right. It is of
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  course Veterans Day the day for reflection and
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  while we usually track the minute -by -minute
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  tech news Today feels like the right time to
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  explore something well Deeper. Yeah, absolutely.
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  We're looking at how service technology and innovation
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  are really woven together. It's isn't just about,
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  you know, battlefield gadgets. We're talking
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  about the entire modern veteran experience, how
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  tech shapes everything from service to coming
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  home to health care and even how we remember.
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  Exactly. It's a whole ecosystem. We're going
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  to explore that today. But first, let's thank
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  one of our key supporters. Today's show is brought
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  Okay, so let's dig into this connection between
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  Veterans Day and technology. It's a really important
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  intersection in today's world. It really is.
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  And maybe we start with the basics. Just a reminder,
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  today honors all U .S. veterans with a special
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  focus on the living. It started as Armistice
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  Day, marking the end of World War I, 11th hour,
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  11th day, 11th month, 1918. But the veteran we
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  honor today. Well, they're operating in a vastly
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  different world than that WWI soldier. That's
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  the core insight, isn't it? The modern service
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  member isn't just carrying a rifle. They are
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  a highly trained technical operator. Absolutely.
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  It's easy to miss the level of technical skill
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  involved now. We're talking complex systems.
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  Yeah, forget simple analog tasks. Oh, completely.
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  Think cybersecurity, AI -driven tools, robotics
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  like unmanned systems, autonomous logistics.
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  Exactly. And complex data and communication networks,
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  tactical ground systems, satellite comms. They
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  need proficiency across the board. All under
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  immense pressure, too. There's intense pressure.
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  They're managing these integrated networks, dealing
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  with end -to -end data encryption. The military
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  is, in effect, one of the most high -stakes tech
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  training grounds on the planet. And that training
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  has direct, real -world applications after service.
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  It does. Take Caleb Flemmy as a great example.
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  An army vet. He was a cryptologic linguist, focused
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  on signals intelligence, SIGINT. So yes, he learned
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  Arabic and Russian. But the core technical job
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  was signals analysis, secure data management.
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  Skills that translate directly. Directly. He
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  didn't just land a job. He became a senior manager
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  of cybersecurity architecture in the civilian
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  world. That military experience was essentially
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  a four year intensive course in cutting edge
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  security tech. So the big takeaway here seems
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  pretty clear. The veteran community is this incredible
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  pool of talent, pre -vetted, security cleared,
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  disciplined. And highly technically skilled.
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  But, and this seems like a big but, getting that
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  talent recognized can be tough, right? That whole
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  translation problem with military jargon. Oh,
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  it's a huge hurdle. You've got military resumes
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  filled with MOS codes, MOCs, these internal job
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  titles. Things a civilian hiring manager or an
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  automated system. just won't understand exactly
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  a system searching for say operations supply
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  chain manager might completely miss a fantastic
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  candidate whose resume says logistics officer
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  even if the skills are a perfect match people
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  tried to fix this with databases like on it online
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  yeah they started there but those are mostly
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  just static list like a basic crosswalk helpful
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  but limited So is AI really the decoder ring
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  we need here? Is it making a difference? It seems
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  to be, yeah. It's proving pretty revolutionary
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  because it shifts the focus. Instead of just
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  matching job titles, it looks at skills. Okay.
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  How does that work in practice? Well, platforms
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  like Bridge My Return use these skills first
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  algorithms. They can look past the specific military
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  title and identify the core transferable capabilities,
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  leadership, technical maintenance skills, managing
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  budgets, you name it. So the AI understands that
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  logistics officer involve supply chain management.
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  Precisely. And what's really interesting is that
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  AI can sometimes identify and articulate skills
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  the veteran might not even realize they should
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  highlight for a civilian job. And there's a big
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  initiative around this launching right now, timed
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  for Veterans Day, from OpenAI. Yes, this is potentially
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  massive. OpenAI is offering one free year of
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  GPT -4, their top model, to all transitioning
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  service members and veterans. Wow, one year free.
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  That's significant. It really is. It basically
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  democratizes high -level transition support overnight.
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  No need to wait for appointments or pay for expensive
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  consultants. And the practical uses are just
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  enormous, I imagine. Think about it. You've got
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  a 247 expert advisor in your pocket. You can
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  feed it your military performance reviews those
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  reports full of jargon Yeah, the ones no one
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  outside the military understands right and the
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  AI can help rewrite those accomplishments into
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  clear corporate language You can practice mock
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  interviews tailored to specific industries and
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  maybe even get help with navigating the VA that
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  paperwork can be dense. Exactly. Get plain language
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  explanations of complex benefits and forms anytime,
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  day or night. That alone could reduce so much
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  stress. Which helps explain why the tech industry
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  is so keen on hiring veterans. It's not just,
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  you know, patriotism or good PR. It's smart business.
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  It absolutely is. High ROI. Companies recognize
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  they're getting incredibly valuable talent, often
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  with built -in soft skills, leadership integrity,
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  resilience that you just can't teach quickly.
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  Plus the hard tech skills we talked about. Right.
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  So you potentially reduce training costs. You
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  see lower turnover because veterans often show
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  higher retention rates. It's a strategic advantage.
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  And that's driving these big corporate pipelines
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  we hear about. Microsoft has one. Yep. The Microsoft
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  Software and Systems Academy MSSA. It's a 17
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  week training program and it comes with a guaranteed
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  interview at Microsoft or one of their hiring
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  partners. That guarantee is huge. Google's involved
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  too? Google runs Skillbridge Fellowships. They're
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  focusing particularly on developing generative
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  AI leaders from the veteran community. And we
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  should probably explain Skillbridge itself quickly.
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  Good point. The DoD Skillbridge program is key
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  here. It lets service members do internships
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  or training with civilian companies during their
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  last six months of active duty, still getting
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  paid by the military. So it's like a try before
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  you buy for the company. And a smoother transition,
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  a warm landing. for the service member. It's
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  brilliant. Amazon, specifically AWS, uses this
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  model too. They have a paid military apprenticeship
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  training, plus a full year of on -the -job experience.
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  So the major pathway. It is. And connecting this
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  back, for many veterans, especially those going
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  into the defense tech sector, it's more than
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  just a job. It offers a renewed purpose. Continuing
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  the mission, in a way. Exactly. That continuity
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  can be a powerful psychological support, helping
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  combat that sense of isolation or loss of mission
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  that, unfortunately, can contribute to mental
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  health struggles during the transition phase.
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  That need for support? For continuity? Yeah.
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  That leads us directly into healthcare, doesn't
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  it? And how technology is transforming the VA.
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  It really is. The VA has made a massive shift
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  towards being a technology -first organization.
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  They talk about a digital front door to care.
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  What does that look like, practically? It means
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  tools like the My Health Vet Portal Veterans
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  can manage prescriptions online, send secure
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  messages to their care teams, access records.
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  So, asynchronous communication. Very convenient.
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  Very. And then there's the VA Video Connect app
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  for live video appointments with their doctors
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  or therapists. This is absolutely crucial for
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  veterans in rural areas or those with mobility
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  issues. OK, but the digital divide is real, right?
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  What if a veteran doesn't have reliable internet
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  or even a device like a smartphone or tablet?
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  How is video telehealth equal access then? That's
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  the critical question. And the VA has actually
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  been quite proactive here. They view digital
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  inclusion as part of health care delivery. Meaning
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  they provide VA -loaned devices, internet -connected
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  tablets to eligible veterans who don't have their
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  own means of access. They actually give them
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  tabs. For those who qualify, yes. And here's
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  the really innovative part. They struck agreements
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  with the major mobile carriers, AT &T, T -Mobile,
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  Verizon. Okay. Using the VA video connect app
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  does not count against a veteran's mobile data
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  plan. Wow. So even if you have a limited data
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  plan, you can still attend your telehealth appointments
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  without worrying about extra charges or running
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  out of data. Exactly. It makes the service truly
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  accessible. That's a huge commitment to equity.
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  That really is profound. All this digital interaction,
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  all this data, it feeds into something massive,
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  right? MHS Genesis. MHS Genesis. It's the unified
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  electronic health record system for both the
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  Department of Defense and the VA. Unified, so
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  one record follows you from active duty right
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  into veteran status. That's the goal. One single
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  integrated health record for something like 9
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  .5 million beneficiaries. No more lost paper
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  files, no more repeating your medical history
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  endlessly. The immediate benefit is clear, better
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  continuity of care, but the long -term potential
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  is enormous. You're creating one of the largest,
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  most detailed, longitudinal health data sets
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  in the world. Decades of health information,
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  all linked. And that kind of data set is basically
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  rocket fuel for AI and medicine. Absolutely.
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  We're already seeing AI used for predictive analytics,
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  especially focusing on veteran suicide prevention,
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  which is still such a critical issue. How does
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  AI help there? It analyzes patterns in that vast
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  data set appointment history, prescriptions,
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  clinical notes, potentially thousands of factors
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  to identify veterans who might be at high risk
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  before they reach a crisis point. Allowing for
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  proactive outreach. Exactly. Targeted support
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  when it's needed most. They're even exploring
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  things like emotion AI, analyzing gross patterns
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  on the veterans crisis line. which is 988, then
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  press 1. Right. Analyzing subtle vocal cures
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  for signs of acute distress to help the human
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  responders better gauge the situation. It's cutting
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  edge stuff. And technology isn't just analyzing
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  data. It's becoming a therapeutic tool itself,
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  especially for things like PTSD, where maybe
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  traditional talk therapy hasn't worked, or faces
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  stigma. Yes. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy,
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  or VRET. The VA's Brave Mind program is a leader
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  here. How does that work, putting on VR goggles?
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  Pretty much. They use over 1 ,200 VR headsets
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  across the VA. A therapist guides the veteran
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  through a controlled, simulated environment that
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  resembles the source of their trauma. Facing
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  the memory in a safe space. Exactly. It's about
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  confronting those memories in a controlled way,
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  gradually desensitizing the automatic fear response.
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  The goal is helping veterans regain control of
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  those memories rather than being controlled by
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  them. That's powerful. And for physical injuries,
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  the tech is almost science fiction sometimes.
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  It really is. Think about advanced prosthetics.
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  The Luke arm, which came out of DARPA research,
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  is incredible. It's neurally controlled. Meaning
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  it responds to thought. Essentially, yes, it
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  translates Nutter signals into complex, dexterous
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  movements. It's about restoring function as naturally
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  as possible. And it's not just the high -end
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  research. Everyday consumer tech is playing a
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  role too. Definitely. The VA's assistive technology
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  program now provides what they call electronic
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  aids to daily living, or EADLs. Which sounds
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  technical, but... It's basically smart home tech.
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  Voice assistants like Alexa or Google Home, smart
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  lights, automated thermostats, things that can
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  dramatically increase independence for veterans
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  with limited mobility, using readily available
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  consumer tech for clinical benefit. Restoring
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  autonomy through simple things like turning on
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  a light with your voice. Yeah. That's incredibly
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  meaningful. Okay. Let's bring this full circle.
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  Technology is also changing how we remember,
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  how we observe Veterans Day itself. Yeah, it's
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  democratizing remembrance, in a way. Making it
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  more accessible. How so? Well, take Honor Everywhere
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  360. It's an initiative that uses VR headsets
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  to bring the experience of visiting war memorials
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  in Washington D .C., the World War II Memorial,
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  Vietnam Veterans Memorial, etc. directly to the
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  bedside of aging or terminally ill veterans who
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  can no longer travel. So they can still experience
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  those tributes. Exactly. It ensures they aren't
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  excluded from that national experience of remembrance
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  due to physical limitations. And presuming individual
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  stories too. Yes. The Library of Congress's Veterans
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  History Project is crucial here. They're not
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  just collecting artifacts, they're digitally
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  archiving audio and video, oral histories, personal
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  letters, diaries. Capturing the human voice,
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  the individual experience. Precisely. Preserving
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  not just the service record, but the person and
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  their unique story for future generations. It
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  makes history personal and permanent. And connecting
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  this back to the tech industry we cover every
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  day. Even their Veterans Day activities are part
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  of this tech ecosystem, aren't they? They really
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  are. When big tech companies run blog posts highlighting
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  their veteran employees or launch social media
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  campaigns, it's partly genuine appreciation,
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  sure, but it's also strategic employer branding.
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  How did that work? By showcasing their commitment
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  to veterans and promoting their V2T veteran to
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  tech hiring programs, they're actively recruiting
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  the next generation of tech savvy service members
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  who are thinking about transition. It fuels the
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  pipeline all over again. So it's a continuous
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  loop. Honoring veterans reinforces the programs
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  that hire them, which brings more tech talent
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  in. Exactly. A self -reinforcing cycle where
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  honoring service and driving innovation go hand
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  in hand. It is a remarkable cycle. Before we
• 14:28
  get to our final thoughts, let's quickly thank
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  them at scony .com. Okay, so wrapping this all
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  up. Today, Veterans Day, it's more than just
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  a day off or parades. It really highlights this
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  ongoing interplay between service, sacrifice,
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  and technological advancement. Right. Technology
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  isn't just part of the veteran's story. It enables
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  their career transitions. It's the platform for
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  their health care. It's even the medium for preserving
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  their legacy. It's completely interwoven through
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  the entire life cycle now. So the final thought
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  for you, our listeners, might be this. Honoring
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  veterans isn't solely about remembrance. It's
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  also about continued action and investment in
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  the systems that support them. That point about
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  the VA providing devices and covering data charges
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  for telehealth, that shows a fundamental understanding
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  that digital access is healthcare access now.
• 15:38
  Exactly. So maybe the provocative thought is
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  that continued robust investment in these integrated
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  digital systems for transition support for healthcare
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  like MHS Genesis for assistive tech isn't just
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  government spending. It's a reflection of national
• 15:54
  values and it yields tangible benefits both human
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  and economic far into the future. Absolutely.
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  Just think about the medical insights we'll gain
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  from analyzing that MHS Genesis data over the
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  next 20 -30 years. It could revolutionize public
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  health for everyone. Powerful stuff indeed. A
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  lot to reflect on this November 11th. Thank you
• 16:13
  for joining us for this special focus on connecting
• 16:15
  the dots. We hope it gave you some new perspectives.
• 16:17
  We're here to help at SNARFL, so reach out on
• 16:19
  our website if you have any more questions. That's
• 16:25
  a wrap on today's top stories. Remember, tech
• 16:28
  doesn't have to be complicated, and we're here
• 16:30
  to help connect the dots. If you've got questions
• 16:33
  or want to learn more, visit us at snarfle .com.
• 16:36
  Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next
• 16:38
  time.