The Common Veterans – Season 3, Episode 14: The Battle Within

Some battles aren’t fought on the field—they’re fought within. The Common Veterans continue their candid conversations about mental health, PTSD, and the resources available to support those dealing with invisible wounds.

Welcome Back to the Fight

Case of the Mondays: “This one’s for the Veterans who fight battles no one else sees.”

Toast of the Week: “To those who wake up and keep fighting the day—even when they don’t want to.”

Understanding the Battle Within

PTSD, trauma, and moral injury manifest differently for everyone. Invisible symptoms like anger, numbness, hyper-vigilance, and quiet guilt can creep into daily life. Stigma around mental health still keeps many Veterans from reaching out.

Honest reflections from the Common Veterans dive into what it means to live with PTSD, Shell Shock, and Neurosis. As Friedrich Nietzsche said, The hardest enemy to face is the one that lives in your head.

The Good, The Bad, and the Bar Tab

Veterans cope in various ways:

• Healthy outlets: fitness, peer groups, creative work, reconnecting with purpose.
• Unhealthy outlets: isolation, alcohol, pretending “everything’s fine.”

Humor can help—but sometimes it hides the real struggle. Remember: coping is the start of the journey, not the end.

The Front Line

The conversation turns to families and supporters—spouses, friends, parents, kids, and fellow Veterans. Trauma can impact relationships, communication, and trust. Guidance for supporters:

• Don’t try to “fix” the Veteran.
• Listen, stay patient, and take care of yourself.

Programs like 4 Vets By Vets provide safe spaces for peer connection and healing. Camaraderie goes beyond friendship—it’s about finding a brother or sister in arms.

Picking Up the Right Weapons

Therapy, group support, EMDR, mindfulness, mentoring, and faith can all play a role in healing. Veterans may resist counseling, feeling “impervious to psychoanalysis,” but modern methods sometimes help. And yes, getting your arse to church can help too.

Resources for support include:

• VA programs, local community options, Veteran nonprofits
• 988 – Veterans Crisis Line, then Press 1

Healing doesn’t make a Veteran less of a warrior—it proves you still are. Remember, “Until Valhalla” is reserved for those who die in combat; surviving doesn’t diminish your service.

Breaking the Cycle – From Surviving to Living

Trauma can echo into the next generation and community. Veteran social clubs often debate what counts as combat experience, highlighting generational differences. Breaking the cycle requires:

• Forgiveness of oneself
• Choosing to think and talk differently
• Peer leadership and mentorship

Sharing stories and guiding fellow Veterans helps create a cycle of support rather than isolation.

The Battle Isn’t Over, But You’re Not Alone

The Common Veterans roundtable wraps up with a collective message: You’re not broken. You’re battle-tested. Reach out to a brother or sister in arms, talk, and connect.

Next Episode: Episode 15 – From Rations to Recipes: Veterans share stories of mess hall meals, favorite recipes, and how they adapt cooking skills to civilian life.

Closing Toast: “To the warriors still fighting the unseen war — we see you, we stand with you, and we’ll hold the line until you’re ready to join us again… WE ARE THE COMMON VETERANS!”

Hosts: Kenny Holmes, Jeff Schrock, Tony Buoscio

Guest: Ty Bancroft — The Bancroft Companies

In this episode we highlight Veterans who’ve built businesses and share practical tips for entrepreneurial success. We talk about stories and lessons from founders like Matt Best (Black Rifle Coffee), John Burk (Shell Shock CBD), Daniel Alerik (Grunt Style), and our guest, Ty Bancroft of The Bancroft Companies.

Introducing Ty Bancroft

Ty served as an Army Combat Medic and went on to build The Bancroft Companies — a Veteran-owned firm that delivers electrical and utility solutions, roadway lighting, and specialty directional drilling under roads, bridges, and rivers. We cover his military background, business journey, how family influenced the business (including his brother), and what drives the company’s commitment to integrity and quality.

Deep Dive — Veteran Entrepreneurship

• The spark: Why Veterans start businesses — purpose, ownership, and using military-honed skills in new ways.
• Common challenges: financing, translating military experience to civilian markets, and building networks outside the military.
• Success strategies: what worked, what didn’t, and practical tactics for launching and scaling.
• Tips for aspiring Vet-preneurs: real, tactical advice from people who’ve been there.

We invite listeners to follow, subscribe, and share. Join us at upcoming FreedomSystem.org events:

• Remember — November 8, 17:00
• Road Bike Ride — 9/27, Abshire Park, Goshen, IN, 10:00 AM
• Mountain Bike Ride — 10/4, Bonneyville, 9:00 AM
• Bridge the Gap — monthly, 1st Friday, INVets, 17:00

Toast

Delivered by Kenny with Jeff and Tony chiming in:

“Here’s to the Veterans who traded their rifles for risk, their boots for business plans, and their battle buddies for boardrooms. May your mission always be clear, your coffee always be strong, and your success stories always inspire the next generation. To Vet-preneurs—cheers!”

WE ARE THE COMMON VETERANS

Next Episode — Episode 14: The Battle Within

We’ll have candid conversations about mental health, PTSD, and the resources that support Veterans. This episode digs into trauma, recovery, and how friends, family, and communities can help. Perfect for anyone who wants to better support a Veteran facing internal battles.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on your preferred podcast platform, share with a friend, and drop us a review. Follow FreedomSystem.org for more events and resources for veterans.

How Veterans can leverage military skills to build networks and navigate civilian careers.

To the Veterans who never stopped believing — in themselves, in their brothers and sisters, and in the future. We’ve all been those “streetlights, people, livin’ just to find emotion, hidin’ somewhere in the…” well, usually the VFW or the local dive bar. May we carry the skills we earned in service into every new mission, building bridges, networks, and opportunities. Here’s to resilience, camaraderie, and never giving up on the journey ahead. Cheers!

This episode of The Common Veterans is brought to you by Mission: Communicate, a Veteran-owned marketing company that helps businesses and nonprofits share their story, and by Winter Oak Studios, founded by T.C. Miller, author of BlackStar Ops, with our own Jeff Schrock contributing as co-author. Their support keeps this conversation alive.

Veterans leave the service with powerful skills — leadership, discipline, adaptability, and teamwork — that translate directly into civilian careers. The real challenge is confidence: learning how to own your background, not downplay it. Many of us have seen how quick decision-making, problem solving, and grit gave us an edge in the civilian workplace. These qualities don’t just fade when the uniform comes off.

But resumes alone aren’t enough. Networking is what opens doors. For many Veterans, this can feel uncomfortable — the fear of being misunderstood or stigmatized is real. Too often, companies say they’re “Veteran Friendly” when really what we need are organizations that are “Veteran Ready.” Veteran Friendly means the welcome mat is out. Veteran Ready means there’s a real plan: mentorship, resources, and pathways for growth. The difference is everything.

LinkedIn is a great place to start. Build a profile that translates military service into civilian terms and join Veteran-specific groups to expand your circle. Local networking apps like Nextdoor can also open doors to jobs, services, and visibility for Veteran-owned businesses. Private communities matter too — FreedomSystem.org’s social site (currently on Facebook, soon moving to our website) offers a safe Veteran-only space. Platforms like Together We Served help you reconnect with old comrades and form new bonds. These networks work best when we don’t just log in, but actively show up and participate.

Navigating the civilian career landscape also requires strategy. Informational interviews are a great way to learn about industries before committing. Mentorship is huge. Every Veteran benefits from both having a mentor and becoming one. Research organizations before interviews, tailor your cover letters, and don’t forget to follow up. Balance humility with confidence — don’t minimize your value, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Pride comes before the fall.

And when it comes to mental health, remember that help isn’t limited to the VA. Programs like H.A.P.P.Y. provide independent psychological support without the red tape. Sometimes what we need most is someone outside the system who understands the challenges we face.

Stories like John Burk’s remind us that refusing to give up and continuing to network can lead to meaningful civilian careers. Our tenacity and resilience carry us through, proving we never stop believing in ourselves or in each other.

So here’s your call to action: reach out to IN Vets or similar organizations that focus on Veteran employment, and take a moment this week to update your LinkedIn profile. You already have the skills — it’s time to share them with the world.

We are The Common Veterans — and we don’t stop believing.

Next time, join us for Episode 13: Veterans in Entrepreneurship, where we highlight Veterans like Ty Bancroft and John Burk who’ve built their own businesses, and share tips to help you succeed as a Vet-preneur.