Skip to content
Get started
Get started
Mountain Valor Veteran Services

Mountain Valor Veteran Services

Non-Profit23 episodes
Mountain Valor empowers veterans and their families every day across rural Virginia. We support our veteran community by providing them with the tools, connections and resources to thrive. Many of the resources we share are available nation-wide, but niche organizations to rural Virginia will be explored as well. If you can’t find what you’re looking for or just want more info: www.mtnvalor.org.
Latest episode

All Episodes

Essential Burial Benefits for Veteran Families

Essential Burial Benefits for Veteran Families

24 min 4 sec
This episode dives into burial benefits for veterans, and how to access them.
Play episode
Understand the VA Wartime and Survivors Pension, and Aid Benefits

Understand the VA Wartime and Survivors Pension, and Aid Benefits

16 min 0 sec
We're discussing VA's wartime pension, survivors pension, and aid and attendance - who's eligible and what it does. VA Resources: Veterans Pension: va.gov/pension/veterans-pension/ Survivors Pension: va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/survivor-compensation/survivors-pension/ Aid and Attendance and Housebound: va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/ Current Pension Rates: va.gov/pension/veterans-pension-rates/ Current Survivors Pension Rates: va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/survivor-compensation/survivors-pension/rates/ VA Forms: VA Form 21P-527EZ — veteran pension claims VA Form 21P-534EZ — surviving spouse claims VA Form 21-2680 — Aid and Attendance based on a physician's evaluation Mountain Valor Veteran Services mtnvalor.org | support@mtnvalor.org #veterans #ruralveteran #veteranbenefits
Play episode
Nick Mastrovito & Ted Veggenburg - Buddy Check 22 and Marine Corps League

Nick Mastrovito & Ted Veggenburg - Buddy Check 22 and Marine Corps League

39 min 38 sec
Nick sits down with Ted Veggenburg, a driving force behind the local Marine Corps League and the man keeping Buddy Check 22 alive in the region. They talk about what it takes to build real community among veterans, why showing up matters, and how a simple check-in can save a life. If you know of a regional resource that deserves a spotlight, reach out at support@mtnvalor.org.
Play episode
Unlocking Education Benefits for Veterans and Their Families

Unlocking Education Benefits for Veterans and Their Families

16 min 27 sec
Join me on Mountain Valor Veteran Services as we delve into the crucial topic of education benefits for veterans and their families. In this episode, Unlocking Education Benefits for Veterans and Their Families, we explore the transformative potential of programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E), and the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program. Discover how these resources can alleviate financial burdens and open doors to higher education and career advancement. We'll also discuss the importance of campus veterans offices and scholarships in supporting military families. Whether you're a veteran or a family member, this episode equips you with the knowledge to access and utilize these benefits effectively. Tune in to learn how to seize these opportunities and share this vital information with others. Visit our website at mtnvalor.org for more resources.
Play episode
Understanding the SMVF Community in Civilian Mental Health Settings

Understanding the SMVF Community in Civilian Mental Health Settings

12 min 30 sec
<p>In this episode, Katt Whittenberger — retired Navy Senior Chief and Executive Director of Mountain Valor Veteran Services — speaks directly to civilian mental health providers about the realities facing service members, veterans, and their families (SMVF), especially in rural communities.</p> <p>Drawing from personal experience transitioning out of the military, Katt explores isolation, loss of belonging, communication fatigue, and the deep mistrust that can form when systems fail to protect or understand veterans and survivors. She also addresses why many veterans — particularly women — go unidentified in civilian settings, and how military sexual trauma can erode trust in <em>all</em> systems, not just the military.</p> <p>This conversation is not about turning civilian clinicians into VA experts. It’s about recognizing the hidden context veterans carry into civilian care — and understanding how clarity, consistency, and presence can change outcomes.</p> <strong>Key Topics Covered</strong> <ul> <li> <p>The disorientation of military-to-civilian transition</p> </li> <li> <p>Loss of identity, belonging, and shared language after service</p> </li> <li> <p>Why isolation is often protective, not avoidant</p> </li> <li> <p>Communication fatigue and constant self-editing after transition</p> </li> <li> <p>Why some veteran spaces still don’t feel inclusive — especially for women</p> </li> <li> <p>Rural veterans and compounded access barriers</p> </li> <li> <p>Military sexual trauma: prevalence vs. reporting</p> </li> <li> <p>How institutional betrayal erodes trust across <em>all</em> systems</p> </li> <li> <p>Why many women veterans don’t identify as veterans</p> </li> <li> <p>Practical ways civilian providers can better support SMVF clients</p> </li> </ul> <strong>Key Takeaways for Providers</strong> <ul> <li> <p>Veterans may present guarded not because they’re resistant, but because trust has been broken before.</p> </li> <li> <p>Isolation is often a rational response to repeated misalignment.</p> </li> <li> <p>Military sexual trauma affects both men and women — with higher individual risk for women and higher raw numbers for men.</p> </li> <li> <p>Trauma experienced within systems often leads to mistrust of <em>all</em> systems later in life.</p> </li> <li> <p>Asking “Did you ever serve in the military?” identifies more veterans than asking “Are you a veteran?”</p> </li> <li> <p>Navigation barriers — not lack of motivation — often drive distress.</p> </li> </ul> <strong>About Mountain Valor Veteran Services</strong> <p>Mountain Valor is a veteran-led nonprofit serving rural Virginia through weekly in-person outreach, education, and benefits navigation for veterans, caregivers, spouses, and survivors. Mountain Valor also hosts Mountain Valor Fest — the state’s only large-scale rural veteran outreach event — and is expanding in 2026 to include focused outreach in elder care and aging veteran settings.</p> <p>Learn more: <strong><a rel="nofollow">https://www.mtnvalor.org</a></strong></p> <strong>Resources &amp; References&nbsp;</strong> <ul> <li> <p>Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention &amp; Response (SAPR) Program</p> </li> <li> <p>VA Office of Rural Health</p> </li> <li> <p>Rural Health Information Hub (Veterans &amp; Rural Health)</p> </li> </ul> <strong>Listener Note</strong> <p>This episode discusses military sexual trauma and systemic harm. Listener discretion is advised.</p>
Play episode
More episodes