Behind The Mission

Show Summary

On today’s episode, we continue the LGBTQIA+ Veteran Public Health Awareness series with a conversation about myths and misconceptions about members of the LGBTQIA+ community with veteran Ale Hernandez

About Today’s Guest

Alejandra Hernandez served in the United States Marine Corps for four years a Food Service Specialist with Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Headquarters and Marine Support Squadron 272 Marine Corps Air Station New River, NC. She deployed once in 2007 to Kuwait, Camp Al Asad, and Camp Al Taqqaddum Air Base. After her unit returned home from Iraq, she spent her remaining time in the service as an Assistant Chief Cook.

After her time in service, Alejandra attended Waubonsee Community College while working in the auto parts industry. She then went on to get her bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago and studied Sociology at UIC.  She worked as a community health worker prior to coming to the Road Home Program in April of 2022. She is a member of Post #939 and American Legion Post #973 Tattler Post.

Links Mentioned In This Episode

Community Clinics and Resources for LGTBTQIA+

American Veterans for Equal Rights

PsychArmor Resource of the Week

This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the previous two episodes in this series, episode 166 with Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton on the goals of this public health awareness campaign, and episode 169 with MaCherie Dunbar and Ashley Carothers on LGBTQIA+ Veteran Healthcare. 
 
You can see find the episodes here:  
 
Episode 166 with Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton
Episode 168 with MaCharie Dunbar and Ashley Carothers
 
This Episode Partner:
 
This episode is brought to you by partners that believe that education changes lives. The partner this week is the Michigan Governor’s Challenge, working to prevent suicide among Service Members, Veterans and their Families. 
 
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Theme Music

Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.

Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

What is Behind The Mission?

Because fewer than 7% of Americans have served in uniform, most Americans are unfamiliar with military service and culture. As a result, members of the military and Veteran community are at greater risk for disconnection and lack of belonging with the civilian community. PsychArmor’s mission is to bridge the military-civilian divide by educating and training a Nation. Each week, Duane France, a combat Veteran and Clinical Mental Health Counselor, will dig deep into the stories “Behind The Mission” - and create a conversation with organizations and leaders on how they are utilizing their expertise and networks to support the military-connected community.