Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Veterans know how to lead. The lessons we learned in the military form the foundation for bigger successes in business, entrepreneurship and community.
Host John S Berry, CEO of Berry Law, served as an active-duty Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, finishing his military career with two deployments and retiring as a Battalion Commander in the National Guard. Today, his veteran led team at Berry Law, helps their clients fight some of the most important battles of their lives. Leading successful teams in the courtroom, the boardroom, and beyond, veteran leadership drives the firm’s rapid growth and business excellence.
Whether building teams, synchronizing operations, or refining tactics, we share our experiences, good and bad, to help you survive, thrive and dominate.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@PTSDLawyers/podcasts
Follow us on social media:
https://facebook.com/veteranled
https://twitter.com/veteranled
https://Instagram.com/veteranled
[00:00:02.260] - Kishla Askins
We may not agree, but that's the nature of us resolving issues, is bringing every lens, every opinion to the table and figuring out. As a senior executive, I would say, get me to yes or get me to no.
[00:00:18.580] - John S. Berry
Welcome to Veteran Led. Today's guest is Kishla Askins. She served for 30 years in the Navy as a Physician's Associate and with the Marines. She's now running for Congress for Nebraska's Second district. Welcome to the show, Kishla.
[00:00:34.780] - Kishla Askins
Oh, thank you so much. Glad to be here.
[00:00:36.900] - John S. Berry
Well, it's great to have a Veteran running for office. And so many times we talk about leadership, and I always look at leaders from the perspective of the origin story. When did they start to lead? Why did they start to lead? So let me take you back. You're a Mustang, started off enlisted Navy, then became an officer. Tell us about that.
[00:00:54.360] - Kishla Askins
Yeah. So, all of 18 years old. I was a good athlete, not good enough for a scholarship. Smart, not smart enough for a scholarship, long family history of service. I wanted to continue that tradition. Went to the Navy with the thought, four years, and then I'd figure it all out. Thirty years later, I retired. But on that journey, I started as a corpsman, a paramedic, and I went to school at night. Then I became an independent duty corpsman, so that meant I went shipboard. So, ship, ship, ship. Meanwhile, continuing my education, finished my bachelor's degree, military sent me, the Navy sent me to PA School, physician associate school, to get my master's. From that point forward, it was Marine, Marine, and Marine. I think at that point is also where my journey shifted. When you're deploying, those are your brothers and sisters in arms. You train together, you sweat together, you cry together, you deploy. Sometimes the next time I saw them, they were on my table to save their lives. After a few tours in combat zones, I decided I need a break. I went to the US Senate, worked for Senator Joe Donley, wrote some legislation for him.
[00:02:21.480] - Kishla Askins
The Iran nuclear agreement was on the table at that time, so did all that work. Wrote some legislation on mental health, got passed, signed into law by Barack Obama. Then I went to Surgeon General's office, and then I retired out of the Pentagon as a Chief of Staff to an Assistant Secretary of Defense.
[00:02:39.680] - John S. Berry
Your service didn't stop there. Now, like me, your father is a Vietnam Veteran, and you went on to serve in the Veterans Administration.
[00:02:46.040] - Kishla Askins
Yes. Here I was. Again, we talk about your purpose after you come out of uniform. I started looking for volunteer opportunities, and somebody contacted me and said, hey, the Biden-Harris campaign looking for experts to write day one, day 100 policies. So, I said, absolutely. So, I wrote day one, day 100 policies for the campaign, not knowing if they were going to get elected or not.
[00:03:10.150] - John S. Berry
Are those worse than writing military policies?
[00:03:12.220] - Kishla Askins
Yes.
[00:03:13.000] - John S. Berry
Okay. Just wanted to make sure. It sounds painful. I don't know why you'd volunteer, but okay.
[00:03:18.030] - Kishla Askins
No, it's about moving the country forward. It is being part of a solution, not just admiring a problem, but actually being part of the solution. And because of that work, they came knocking again and said, Hey, we would like, because of your background, we would like you to go to the Department of Veteran Affairs and be Deputy Assistant Secretary of enterprise Integration. Basically, taking the second largest federal agency using data governance and policy to pull that agency together and improve outcomes for Veterans, caregivers, survivors.
[00:03:54.800] - John S. Berry
That is a large bureaucracy. Now, you had the fortunate experience of working at the Pentagon before you went there. Let's talk about that. As a young enlisted person or as an officer, you like to make decisions, make things happen, and then you get in those larger bureaucracies. How do you navigate that?
[00:04:10.820] - Kishla Askins
I think it's about building coalitions, especially at the Office of Secretary of Defense and then at the Office of Enterprise Integration. Same skillset. You got to build large coalitions to bring people together, to have those really hard conversations about what are we going to do about this problem? Roles and responsibilities going forward, who has the power, who has the resources to do it. But my job always, I saw, was bringing coalitions together, bringing people together, and really making shit happen.
[00:04:50.040] - John S. Berry
Yeah. As a leader, I think we get these huge definitions of leadership. Leadership is the art and science of influencing and directing others to achieve a mission. But I just say, leaders get results. Boom. You have to pull people together to make stuff happen. What has been one of your best techniques to make that happen? Look, some of us have served on joint and joint staff, where there's Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and people come from all different backgrounds. You got to talk. They have different bosses, different interests, different specialties. How do you get everybody in the room and get them to start talking? And so the right voices are heard, because let's face it, sometimes only the loudest voices are heard. But how do you still take that?
[00:05:28.440] - Kishla Askins
Even politics.
[00:05:29.020] - John S. Berry
Yes, absolutely in politics.
[00:05:31.600] - Kishla Askins
Well, I started it. I started my job having one-on-one meetings. I think that's building relationships one by one, right? Hearing their issues, hearing their concerns, And then one, two, three people bringing them together, small groups, until I got to a much larger group. So you got to bring them in so that they feel like they are bought in, that they have skin in the game, and that they can be part of the solution. Because a lot of times people don't want to be bothered because they don't feel like their voice is going to be heard, and especially in the big bureaucracy of the Pentagon or the Department of Veteran Affairs. So you sitting down in a time where we live by email or text, people would email me, Hey, I'm trying to set up a meeting with you. I'd pick up the phone and say, Where's your office? Do you have time right now? Sure. I'll be right there. I'd walk down and pull out my little self next to them at their desk and have a real conversation with them. And that went so far. We have to get back to one-on-one conversations, community conversations, and really listening to people.
[00:06:49.320] - John S. Berry
Yeah. I think that so often we just want to hear ourselves talk, that when we fail to listen, we fail to find solutions. And that's the same thinking that brings back the same problems. And a lot of times, if you can just get someone to start talking, people are happy to talk about themselves. I find if I just shut up, it's amazing how much information I can get and how many problems I can solve just by sitting down with someone and engaging. Yeah.
[00:07:11.380] - Kishla Askins
No, absolutely. I think every voice does matter, and I think that applies to politics. I hate to use that word, but I would say more running to serve others. You got to listen to what their real issue is, and not only what they're saying, but what they're not saying.
[00:07:30.260] - John S. Berry
And their actions. We were talking before, there are public servants, and there are public serpents. There are the snakes out there who are doing this for themselves. But how do I judge? I judge based on what did this person do before they got into politics. Obviously, With your military service, 30 years, and then continued government service in large bureaucracies would scare me, which I think would be pain. But you've been able to navigate that. But not only that, but then it's not like you stop there. And this is what I worry about. I Don't worry about people who think they know it all. Lawyers who know it all are dangerous. They don't. They just think they know it all. But you are actually pursuing a PhD as well. So you've got a long list of academic credentials, but why pursue the PhD?
[00:08:13.520] - Kishla Askins
Yeah. So my research is on the biosecurity risks of thawing permafrost in a warming Arctic. So yes, I can talk about Greenland. And so emerging diseases in the Arctic. So it is marrying health security, geo-politics, environmental security, all at one nexus. I think when you think through that, the Arctic is the next frontier. When I started this, people were like, Are you smoking crack? Are you really serious? Are there really emerging diseases? I said, I am convinced. I'm looking at some preliminary data. And guess what? Are we prepared? No. Do we have the resources? No. I think the current environment of dismantling these international partnerships is only making it worse. For me, I want to be prepared. If COVID did not teach us anything, it should teach us that a missile or a nuclear weapon or these traditional threats that we're looking at may not be the priority. Maybe it's cybersecurity, maybe it's this insidious health security risk, and we know that there are those risks. Getting back to national security and Serving something greater than myself, where else to do it than serving Nebraskans, elevating the economy, making us more prepared, and taking their voice to Nebraska, I mean Washington, DC?
[00:09:43.280] - John S. Berry
I think that's the thing about leaders is There has to be a level of curiosity and further education. Like I said, Veterans should be building that bigger, better future for themselves and for their communities, and you're doing that. That's the example that we love to see here on Veteran Led because there are a lot of Veterans out there that have the education, have the leadership training, and they want to know what's next. I'm like, well, choose what's next. Do something. Like I said, you have furthered your education, continued to further your education. Guess what, guys? You never graduate. It's never done. You continue to learn and continue to serve. The oath never expires, and now you're just looking for another way to serve.
[00:10:18.680] - Kishla Askins
Yeah, the oath. Yeah, let's talk about that. Some people believe it's, Oh, I'm in a job. I took that oath, or, I'm in uniform. I took that oath. No, it is a moral compass. It is a moral compass. I always say everyone has a boss, right? Whether I was in the Pentagon, Department of Veteran Affairs with the Navy or the Marine Corps, inside hospitals. I had a boss. And now what I'm asking for is for Nebraska to hire me and to be my boss, because going forward, I have two professional bosses, the Constitution and Nebraskans. That's simple.
[00:10:59.000] - John S. Berry
And a You've been to DC before, so you know what you're getting yourself into.
[00:11:03.860] - Kishla Askins
And I think that is such a great point because you have two years. Two years. If you don't know how DC works, let alone Congress, it's going to take you some time to figure it out. I'd say 6-9 months. And you won't have a good understanding of how the Pentagon works, HHS, Department of Veteran Affairs, how the whole of Government works, how the Congressional Appropriation cycle works, the budget cycle. So there's that. And then you go to Congress, and I actually have a plan for day one, after the primary, when I win, to bring Nebraskans together to actually inform my first three to four pieces of legislation. So when I show up in January of 2027, I'm not starting my work then. I will show up with my first three to four pieces of legislation to find sponsorship with and to introduce.
[00:12:02.720] - John S. Berry
Yeah. Show up ready to make an impact. I love the stories about Kobe Bryant, the day he's drafted. And you would think most of them in the NFL draft, they're going out partying, drinking. He's going right to the gym. It's like, now it's starting I don't have time to waste. I'm going to the big league. And so same thing. I appreciate leaders who see this as the win is really like, that's the moment where you didn't just prepare for the win. You prepared for what's going to happen after the win. In the military, we've done the follow on operations. It's not just the immediate mission. We've got to do our planning for what's going to happen after we win the battle.
[00:12:37.800] - Kishla Askins
Yeah. I think what's so important is, while you're there, what's informing your decision making? Are you going to let a party influence your decision-making, or are you going to represent Nebraskans and ensure their voice truly is heard through your vote?
[00:12:55.660] - John S. Berry
And Veterans.
[00:12:57.300] - Kishla Askins
Well, yeah.
[00:12:59.260] - Kishla Askins
I mean, Veterans are Nebraskans, but also you do have a national responsibility, right? Because you are a member of Congress. I'm not only a Veteran, I am a spouse of a Veteran, a 30-year Veteran. So, I see that whole family unit, the whole stressors on the family, the quality of life, the deployment schedules. And so that is a given. There are issues that absolutely are going to be priority because, one, I'm hearing them from Nebraskans, or two, I've lived this world. So, the military, I'm sure they'll want me on armed services committee. I'm sure they'll want me on the VA committee. I want to be on the Ag Committee and also the Appropriations. Really, the Appropriations Committee is probably the most powerful committee to be on because I can write policy as an appropriator, but I also will control the purse strings.
[00:14:02.460] - John S. Berry
That is important. Fiscal responsibility. I mean, we've deployed, we've seen fraud, waste, and abuse. We know it's there. We know what it looks like.
[00:14:09.760] - Kishla Askins
Yes. You look at the deficit, right? 38 trillion dollars. That is not sustainable. It is not sustainable. We need to be making decisions not only for now, but for future generations, whether that is fiscal responsibility or environmental stewardship. We have to make sure that there's a world better than what we found it, not worse. What we're doing right now is we're going to be delivering a world that is less secure, less prepared, less fiscally prepared, and environmentally. We really need to think about how we're making decisions, and it could include making some hard decisions.
[00:14:58.340] - John S. Berry
Absolutely. I like the term stewardship because I think of what I keep hearing about the difficulty recruiting new members into the military. I think it starts with how we treat our Veterans. If you think about when I went in the military, everything I heard was so positive. Like you, I had a large family history of going in the military. I have yet to talk to anyone who has regretted going in. And yet I have heard from some individuals who will say, well, I'm not going in. This happened to my uncle. He got out. And so how we treat our Veterans matters because that narrative is what's being passed down from generation to generation. I won't talk about how old we are here, but some of those injuries, they get a little bit worse as we age. When we're young, we're invincible. Then as we move through our careers and progress, we figure out that your body can't take that beating forever. But we'd gladly do it for our service members. I know you treated service members injured in combat, and you've seen firsthand what happens. I think they have a life after that. Like you said, military spouses.
[00:16:07.870] - John S. Berry
There's a family that they are coming home to. How do we take care of them? I think of our Vietnam Veterans. My father was exposed to Agent Orange. Some of this stuff, like aid detentions, where they can get people to help them with mobility so that people like me don't have to, right? Or where it's like the sons and daughters can go on and live their lives because we have a great Veterans Administration that that cares about the needs of our Veterans. Like I said, I hate the narrative, right? That, oh, the VA is so bad. Look, it's not perfect. It's a large bureaucracy. But the last thing we want to do is create this horrible narrative that pushes Veterans away from getting the benefits they earned.
[00:16:44.740] - Kishla Askins
Yeah, I think I'm focused on solutions. We can always be better, but we need to continue to listen. Part of when I was at the Department of Veteran Affairs, we did these breakfasts with the VSOs so that that they got firsthand interaction with the senior leadership in the VA in Washington, DC. I think it was really good. It's something that I'm going to bring here to the second district is access is going to be very important to me. Yes, we're all busy, we're all busy, but you have to make yourself available to people who are going to inform your way forward, going to tell you what the issues what the challenges are. That's why when I do meetings or I open myself up to Q&A's, I say, Bring the hard questions. I've been here before. I did emergency medicine. I never knew what was going to walk into via ambulance or my door. As a leader, you have to be able to sit in front of the people you represent who you serve and be willing to take questions and ask. Whether you want to hear it or not, you have to be accessible. I have made that commitment that I will always be accessible.
[00:18:09.140] - Kishla Askins
We may not agree, but that's the nature of us resolving issues. Is bringing every lens, every opinion to the table and figuring out. As a senior executive, I would say, get me to yes or get me to no. What that told people was, she is open to hearing what I have to say. Sometimes, this should not be shocking, sometimes people did get me to yes when I thought I was leaning to no or vice versa. We need to keep our eyes and ears and our hearts open.
[00:18:45.600] - John S. Berry
I think that's such an important thing. If people don't feel heard, they're just going to shut down. Sometimes as a leader, as you know, it's a little bit different when you're deployed and you have to make decisions very quickly. There's not time to explain why. It's just we have to do this, we have to do it now. But I found that if you find other moments to explain why and to have the dialog, then when you run into those situations where you must use that knife hand to give the order and it's going to happen, your team is much more willing to listen. People are much more willing to accept that they don't have all the information, but they trust you because you've listened before.
[00:19:19.940] - Kishla Askins
A goodwill story. My wife is an absolute ceiling breaker, just phenomenal. I married up, quite frankly. We were at a big gathering party, and the Commandant of Marine Corps was there. I was on the hill at the time, and I was all fired up. He was talking, and I was talking, and I didn't I realized. I was going like this to him. And my wife said, Kish, do you know you just knife-handed the commandant? And I'm like, Did I get my point across? Okay.
[00:19:55.600] - John S. Berry
Good. That's what you say. He's just like, Mattis. Come on.
[00:19:59.140] - Kishla Askins
Mattis was Secretary of Defense when I was in the Pentagon. Oh, wow. Oh, yeah. I mean, that man is just, we don't agree on everything, but you talk about a fervent leader, a smart. He is probably one of the most read individuals I've ever met. You talk about somebody so composed but has such a command presence when he walks into the room. It's General/Secretary Mattis.
[00:20:33.860] - John S. Berry
Well, that takes us to the after-action review. Our examples of great leadership and poor leadership. Let's start with the poor. You don't have to name names, but there's always the stories, the situations. I think these are the things we learn the most from is sometimes the bad leaders. We'll start with that.
[00:20:47.120] - Kishla Askins
Yeah, I think I'll approach this with qualities. I think leaders who are self-serving, that do not elevate others, that are dishonest or cannot communicate with their team or those that they lead, or just have no ethical or moral compass. Those are all bad leaders. Some people say leaders are born and leaders are trained, and you could have an argument for either. But I think there is a moral and ethical compass that is a fundamental quality, integrity, character. If you don't have that, you have no business leading others.
[00:21:41.920] - John S. Berry
Absolutely.
[00:21:43.260] - Kishla Askins
On the other side, I think good leaders. There is one world leader that I absolutely believe taught world leaders empathetic leadership. During COVID, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. She handled three major crises in her country: COVID, a mass shooting, and a international natural disaster. I think it had a lot of cultural issues to those three items. I think she never lost grasp of her people. Having an example of making the Easter Bunny an essential personnel so that kids could still have Easter despite COVID. It's having that empathy and sympathy and not losing grasp of the people are what make it go forward. If you are not treating people well, if you are not reflective in how you can be better as a leader, then you have no business being a leader. You always have to continue to want to be better yourself and understand that each and every person is motivated by different things. Everyone has a different capacity, different capabilities, and it's your job as a leader to figure those out and tap into what they can and cannot do.
[00:23:25.680] - John S. Berry
I think that's so key because being reflective as a leader is tough. In politics, we hear, Oh, that person flip flops on this issue and that issue. But for me, a lot of times, a leader that will change, that has the courage to change their opinion on something, tells me that not only they're brave, but that they're smart. Because there are so many things where I had information and I didn't have enough information. I made a decision. Then as I maybe matured, I mean, as a new lieutenant, we did some stupid things, right? We learned a lot of things about leadership that they don't quite teach you, and you can never learn in the classroom. You have to learn by doing. Once again, this is why military service people are so qualified to serve our country, again, in government, because they understand that.
[00:24:08.260] - Kishla Askins
Well, if you look at during post-Vietnam, somewhere upwards of 70% of Congress were Veterans. Now, it's somewhere around 16% and losing day by day. Right now, we're seeing an influx of Veterans stepping up and running for Congress, running for state legislator, running for various seats. And why is that? I did not wear the uniform. You didn't wear the uniform for anyone to stomp on the Constitution, anyone to dismantle life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And for me, we don't always have to agree. We should not. We are the United States of America. We are all different. But what we do have in common is that Constitution. And that is our rule of law. And when you break the rule of law, no one is above the rule of law. No one. I don't care who you are. And so, I served, went to places, and was willing to lay down my life for what I believed was the Constitution and the best, the greatest nation in the world. And I still believe that this is the greatest nation in the world. It is at an inflex right now. We are at an inflection point, and the people need to stand up and speak loudly.
[00:25:40.020] - Kishla Askins
Speak loudly with their vote, speak loudly about corruption, speak loudly about service. If you find yourself helpless or feeling hopeless, I guarantee you if you find a cause or a candidate to move our country forward, that is very healing because it gives you purpose and it makes you feel as though you're part of something bigger than yourself. You're not a victim of what's happening, but actually somebody who is part of the solution.
[00:26:14.160] - John S. Berry
I have noticed the greatest leaders in our government are not the ones that say, You need me, you need me. They're the ones that say, No, I need you. We need you to step up, to make this country better, to provide more opportunities, to build these great communities. I think it too often it's, Look at me, vote for me, and I will solve all the problems. No. That's not how it works. You have that representative, but you can't abdicate your responsibilities as a citizen to step up and to serve and to continue to serve. And once again, this is why Veterans become so crucial to this, because it's inherent. We've already proven it. And so if there's a Veteran on the ballot, you know that you have someone who understands what it means to serve a purpose greater than themselves, but also that leadership is not about you. It's about people you serve and motivating them to become even greater, even better, not for them to wait for you to make decisions for them.
[00:27:13.420] - Kishla Askins
No. I mean, again, it goes back to what I said, right? I'll have two bosses, the Constitution and Nebraskans and Veterans. But I think it's so true. One of my favorite books is called Multipliers, and it's this whole scenario of how you multiply other people, you empower other people. And again, I can't do this alone. I need the young generation. I need those that I need the unions. I need the Veterans. I need the healthcare workers. I need each and every part of Nebraska, North Omaha, South Omaha, West Omaha, Midtown. It's going to take all of us. It's going to take Sarpy County, Saunders County, Douglas County. It's not about just one area. I think the true measure of success when it comes to running a campaign is looking and seeing that there are people across the district that are voting for you. Not just one area, but across, that understand that you are willing to represent everyone, and you are willing to make opportunities for everyone, and you are willing to be that leader that now more than ever we need in Congress. For three decades, I didn't ask somebody, Are you a Democrat, independent, Republican?
[00:28:44.500] - Kishla Askins
I didn't ask that question. I said, what is my mission? Who's on my team? Where am I going? And when do I leave? Those are the four questions I never asked. I think that is critical when you think about why I'm going to be successful in Congress. I'm going to be successful in Congress because I'm going to go look for those Veterans in Congress who span the political spectrum, and I'm going to say, Let's work together on X, Y, and Z. That starts building the relationship. I'm going to go look for the scientist I'm going to go look for the healthcare workers. I'm going to look for those common areas that we agree on, and I'm going to work with them so that I can build opportunity for Nebraskans and our nation.
[00:29:27.400] - John S. Berry
I think that Veteran status gives you a head start. I've been in a lot of places where I felt a little isolated, maybe alone, but whenever I met a Veteran, it's always been with open arms and, hey, how can I help you? To have that, I think, not only that qualification, but those embedded relationships that you are a Veteran. Kind of unity, one of us. We've served. I respect you. How can I help you? Other people running for office don't have that.
[00:29:55.580] - Kishla Askins
Yeah, and they don't have that understanding as well of... We could about Iran, we could talk about Venezuela, we could talk about Greenland. But when we put our sons and daughters in harm's way, it's different for us. We know what that means. We know what's on the line, not just for that service member, but what happens when they come out of the military and are a Veteran. Then also, what about their families? I will always think three and four times before I take a vote on putting our men and women in harm's way. And there will be a very specific criteria. This will be because it is a national security risk to our nation. It is in the interest of our nation, and not a particular party, not a particular president. And I don't care if you are a Democratic, Republican President. This is about the men and women that serve our nation, that when you put them in harm's way and they have to endure that environment, there are third order effects and downstream effects to both them and their families.
[00:31:12.720] - John S. Berry
I think that's so important because it's easy for politicians to send people to foreign lands, and you've been there, and I remember as a company commander in Iraq, I was told, you are responsible for America's sons and daughters under your command, and that is a heavy burden. And that is a different burden than deciding to send people there. So when you've been there, and you know what it's like, and you know because you've treated people that are injured in combat. It's a totally different world when you are actually boots on the ground.
[00:31:37.300] - Kishla Askins
Yeah, it is completely different. And I still, I mean, that has forever shaped me because I wasn't successful in bringing my brothers and sisters in arms home. And I knew their families. You know how this is. You know their families, you know their children. I will never forget, we had a mass casualty, and initially, I went mobile up by the Serian border, and then I came back in the last month before coming home. I remember we had a mass casualty in the last 30 days of being there. We had about eight tables, I think eight tables, all with intubation, all of our medical equipment. We had a red line. We used tape, a red line. We told the chain of command; you have to stay behind the red line. You know what? Every single Marine that was available, their sergeant major, their company commanders, their commanding officer, we're standing there while we were trying to save those Marines. I'll never forget that. Nobody understands that level of...
[00:32:56.440] - John S. Berry
Loyalty. Yeah. It's that burden of command, that understanding that you are responsible. In the end, obviously, in your position, having to triage and make those tough decisions. If you made them in combat, you can make them in DC.
[00:33:16.060] - Kishla Askins
There's no doubt. As I said, when you're making decisions, whether it's at sea or on the ground with the Marines, life and death decisions, I don't have any problems with making hard decisions in DC because you keep one thing in mind, why you are there and who you are serving. When you keep that in focus, it's easy to make decisions.
[00:33:48.180] - John S. Berry
Kishla, can you take us to a moment in your military service that has kept that burden of service alive in you?
[00:33:59.100] - Kishla Askins
Your patients always stay with you. When you're deployed, we always put our dog tags in our boot, right? At the time, I remember mass casualty coming in, and I was putting a chest tube in this guy because he got shot. I noticed that he had his first time I ever heard this a meat tag. And a meat tag was a dog tag that was tattooed on to him. So, he tattooed his dog tag on him. And then right underneath of it, he put his wife, daughter, and son. And because he said he always wanted them close to his heart. And Those are the things that drive me.
[00:35:02.960] - John S. Berry
Yeah.
[00:35:04.540] - Kishla Askins
Because the Marines, they were worried they were going to get their leg blown off, so their dog tags in their boots wouldn't work. And some of them didn't want their dog tags around their neck because of safety stuff and all that gear. And so, after that, it just I'd have Marines that put their dog tattoo it on the side of them or things like that, or having those conversations where they did have an IED explosion. They were part of it. That was my Marine, and I always said, I will be honest with you.
[00:35:50.580] - Kishla Askins
I will always. And so, Doc, I'll be okay, right? I'll be okay. I remember looking at the X-ray, and the problem with the IEDs is they go up. It could be that just their foot got blown off. But when you look at the X-ray, you can see that it shattered all the way up. I remember telling this one guy, Listen, you're going to come out with an above-the-knee amputation. But I want you to know before you go in, because I said I would always be honest, so when you're willing to give that to people, when you're willing to serve like that, Washington DC is a walk in the park to me.
[00:36:47.220] - John S. Berry
Yeah. It's the ability to deliver bad news. Yeah. And you're right. It doesn't get any worse than that.
[00:36:53.680] - Kishla Askins
And I want people to understand. I tell my stories not for me. I tell my stories because I don't think people really understand what people have given for this nation. They don't really understand. The last time that we were truly unified, what would you say the last time we were truly unified as a nation?
[00:37:17.060] - John S. Berry
I mean, you go... That post-9/11, probably, Hey, we once. I would probably say George Bush era type of... Because everybody was just, we're going in, and we have a common enemy, and this We were unified. But that's probably the last time.
[00:37:33.210] - Kishla Askins
Yeah, I say that all the time. It's like I say, Okay, if I raised my hand and said, Where were you on 9/11? I bet all of you would know exactly where you were in 9/11, if you were alive.
[00:37:46.920] - John S. Berry
Yeah. Because there are voters now. Thanks for reminding me.
[00:37:51.800] - Kishla Askins
But maybe they had, they lost a family member that they never knew because they weren't born yet. But I think that was the last time the country was truly unified. We should not need a crisis to bring us together. But this is our crisis right now. We have so much in common. But as you said in the beginning, the one speaking the loudest, screaming the loudest, is getting all of the noise, all of the footage. Meanwhile, let's focus on what's bringing us together and truly the fundamentals of what brought our country together. Because until we do, we are going to remain divided. As Abe said, a house divided cannot stand.
[00:38:46.320] - John S. Berry
Thank you for joining us today on Veteran Led, where we seek to help Veterans build an even bigger, better future after military service. Unfortunately for some of our Veterans, the roadblock to a better future is that they are receiving all of the benefits that they earned. If you need help appealing a VA disability decision, contact Berry Law.