Operation Insight

Sierra Koester- Licensed PTSD Counselor

Our guest on the show tonight is Sierra Koester. After earning a degree in criminal justice, serving as a Police Officer in O'Fallon and a deputy in Lincoln County, she is now a private practice counselor who specializes in counseling survivors of trauma. She is EMDR trained, which is a proven approach to help survivors of trauma. Men and women in service positions are still at risk when they are not in harm's way. Even when the uniform is hung up and the boots tucked away, there is still a possibility of silent but deadly dangers such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other mental health issues. Sometimes the signs and symptoms appear silent, but sometimes they are hiding in plain sight. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms in yourself and others and know where to turn for help.
Note:  Sierra Koester practices under the supervision of Dona Schaefer.

Stories On The Wall

On the Wall of Honor at the St. Charles County Veterans Museum, there are 116 dog tags representing soldiers from our county killed in action since World War I through present day.  The museum features their stories.  Tonight, we are going to share some of those stories.  By keeping their stories alive we honor them and we are reminded, freedom is never free.  All of their stories are also featured on our website.  Visit www.st.charlescountyveteransmuseum.org.

22 STRONG

Wright Construction celebrated their 16th Year in business in February 2021, Wright Construction Services, Inc. is licensed in 22 states and is the largest General Contractor in St. Charles County.  What makes Wright Construction special, is their quality work and giving back to the community program. 
In 2019, Wright Construction hosted their inaugural 22-Strong Challenge walk. The number 22 is significant to our event because it represents the 22 veterans who lose their lives to suicide every day.  Their goal is to support our community of veterans and bring awareness to the charities we support. Virtual walkers joined us from 18 states across the country, and over 100 people walked with us in St. Charles, Missouri on September 2021.  This September, we will host our 4th annual event series.  The goal of each of these events is to raise awareness and funds for organizations dedicated to eliminating veteran suicide.
Wright Construction has a strong “Giving Back Program” in our community. For more information about Wright Construction and their Giving Back efforts, click on the link below.
https://www.wrightconstruct.com/giving-back/

Lieutenant Colonel Steve Brown- Vietnam Pilot

LTC Steve Brown served in the Air Force from 1968-1991, twenty-three years as a pilot. Steve had a very distinguished career in the Air Force. As a new pilot, he paid his dues flying a Caribou carrying everything from ammunition, supplies, troops, to livestock in Vietnam. He graduated to the B-52’s flying bombing missions during Operation Linebacker II. Negotiations for peace talks had bogged down, so President Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi. Operation Linebacker II was important because it forced the communists back into serious peace negotiations. After Vietnam, as the Cold War intensified, Steve sat on the tarmac on alert in the cockpit of his B-52 armed with nuclear weapons. From the B-52s, Steve joined a very elite group of pilots flying the U-2 reconnaissance plane. Dressed in an astronaut suit, armed only with a camera, Steve would fly over Cold War hotspots, shooting pictures.

Join Us Next Week On The Dog Tag Podcast

Join us next week on The Dog Tag Podcast from The St. Charles County Veterans Museum as we host in studio LTC Steve Brown, Vietnam Veteran, Pilot. Steve served in the Air Force from 1968-1991, twenty-three years as a pilot. Steve had a very distinguished career in the Air Force. As a new pilot, he paid his dues flying a Caribou in Vietnam. He graduated to the B-52’s flying bombing missions during Operation Linebacker II.  After negotiations for peace talks bogged down, President Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi. Operation Linebacker II was important because it forced the communists back into serious peace negotiations. From the B-52s, Steve joined a very elite group of pilots flying the U-2 reconnaissance plane.  Armed with only a camera, Steve would fly over Cold War hotspots, shooting pictures. It's a story you won't want to miss.

Jim David- The Veterans Assistance Office in St. Charles County

Today's podcast features Jim David from the Veterans Assistance Office in St. Charles County. The office is located in O'Fallon City Hall and is staffed by volunteers Monday-Thursday, from 9 AM to 4 PM. The volunteers are ready to assist you with your Veterans Assistance needs. Jim outlines what assistance the office can provide and how to utilize them. He shares how the office came together in St. Charles County and how the office works with the veteran/veteran family navigating the various veteran assistance resources or departments within the VA or branch departments.  He shares past stories on how the Veterans Assistance Office has helped Veterans and their families with issues they are facing. He discusses the training the volunteers receive and how they work with the local Veterans Service Officer. The Veterans Assistance Office is always looking for volunteers to assist our veteran community.

Women Who Serve: Discussion with Marcia Higgins, Museum Curator

Women have been serving in the military in one form or another for more than 200 years. They have had to overcome decades of obstacles in order to be allowed to serve their country, and are now deployed in ever-increasing numbers, in combat roles and in leadership positions all around the world. Today, women make up 16% of the military, and nearly 10% of veterans are women. The SCCVM showcases the artifacts, uniforms, photos, and especially the stories of numerous brave women from World War Two through the present day. Our guest this week is the museum curator, Marcia Higgins, who will discuss highlights of the items on exhibit in the museum and tell stories about these women of valor.

Master Sergeant Matthew Sims- Triple Purple Heart Recipient & Combat Medic

Combat medics play a unique role in the military. Not only must they be experts in battlefield medicine, but they must also remain proficient in combat tactical skills. They frequently witness injuries and death and are often exposed to the personal threat of trauma. Medics run towards the danger to render aid to those injured while exposing themselves to enemy fire. While under attack, medics must fight alongside their fellow soldiers. Combat medics and corpsmen felt the best way to serve and save lives was alongside the troops.
While they can easily rationalize, they cannot save everyone, which causes high levels of stress. Because of this double-duty role, combat medics often face stressors that other military specialties do not. Military medics are at high risk for burnout, compassion fatigue, combat stress, and medic PTSD.
Tonight’s guest is MSG Matthew Sims, who served our country as a combat medic. In 2005, during his deployment to Iraq, Matt regularly placed himself in harm’s way. Matt was awarded three Purple Hearts. Though retired, Matt continues to serve today.

Unsung Heroes: Merchant Marine Sailors of WWII

The United States entered World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. But American Merchant Marine sailors were dying months before America entered the war!  During the war, 733 American cargo ships were lost.  There were 243,000 mariners who served, and 9,521 perished while serving.  Roughly four percent of those who served were killed.  This was a higher casualty rate than that of any of the American military branches during World War II.  Merchant mariners were the lifeline for our fighting troops, supplying virtually everything our armies needed.
When they enlisted, they were promised all the benefits of the other military branches. The reality was that mariners received no government benefits, paid income taxes, and earned money only when their ships were at sea. If their ships were torpedoed, they stopped getting paid the moment they hit the water!  They were off the clock when swimming for their lives. And when they returned to civilian status, they were denied a lifetime of military benefits, including health care, money for college, and low-interest loans.  Merchant marine seamen possessed an unusual variety of courage and gave their lives for their country as valiantly as those in the armed forces did, without benefits.
The Merchant Marine was our unsung heroes!  This is the story of Charles Hoffman, who served in the Merchant Marine from 1943 to 1945.

Angela Peacock- Medicating Normal

Angela Peacock joined the Army immediately after high school in 1998. Angie was strong, tough, and a born leader. She was ready, willing, and able to do anything a man could do. After a stint in Korea where she was assaulted, Angie was deployed to Iraq in May 2003. She began driving supply convoys in an area known as the Triangle of Death. The routes in the Triangle were very dangerous, and soldiers got killed there all the time. They said, No woman in combat? No front lines for women? Baghdad was the front lines!