PsychArmor Institute

⚠️ Content warning: This episode includes discussion of depression and suicidal ideation.

What if laughter could save lives?

This week on Behind the Mission, host Duane France sits down with comedian Brad Bonar, founder of 1 Degree of Separation, to talk about breaking the silence around depression–through humor.

After being hospitalized for suicidal ideation eight years ago, Brad turned his own struggle into purpose. What started as small dinners and honest conversations has grown into more than 400 live events, reaching thousands–including active duty service members through su***de prevention training.

His approach is different:
➡️ Comedy first–because laughter opens the door
➡️ No advice–just real conversations
➡️ Five simple questions that help people talk about what’s hard

Because the truth is–whether you struggle with depression or not, everyone is one degree away from someone who does.

With over 100 comedians involved and 100,000+ conversation guides shared, this work is changing lives–not just for audiences, but for the comedians themselves.

🎧 Tune in to hear how humor can shift the conversation, reduce stigma, and give people the tools to connect when it matters most. https://hubs.la/Q04hww_20

🎙️ As Memorial Day approaches, revisit our powerful conversation with Elizabeth Coplan, founder of Grief Dialogues and creator of In Honor.

As part of our Caring Minutes series on compassionate care for Veterans and their families, this episode offers an important companion to tomorrow’s new blog conversation with Elizabeth on grief, gratitude, stoicism, and honoring those who served.

Through storytelling and immersive theatre, Elizabeth creates space for conversations many families carry silently.

Listen now and continue the conversation. 💙
https://hubs.la/Q04gGTgW0

🎙️ Behind the Mission | New Episode
What happens when constant change becomes your way of life—and your calling?

On this episode of Behind the Mission, host Duane France sits down with Verenice Castillo, Founder & CEO of the Military Spouse Advocacy Network, for a conversation about resilience, identity, and building community through every transition.

An immigrant from Mexico, Verenice rebuilt her life more than once—first coming to the U.S., then again as a military spouse navigating moves, change, and isolation. She quickly realized her experience wasn’t unique. For military spouses, starting over isn’t the exception—it’s the norm.

That realization sparked a mission: create connection where isolation exists.

Now, through MSAN’s global network and programs like the Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Hub and Leadership Institute, military spouses are finding support, developing as leaders, and stepping into their power as advocates—for themselves and for each other.

This episode dives into:

Why isolation remains one of the biggest challenges military spouses face
How the voice of military spouses has grown stronger over the past decade
The reality that transition doesn’t end with service—it evolves
And how spouses are turning shared struggles into purpose and impact

Military spouses are often the steady force behind the mission—and they’re also leading change in their own right.

🎧 Listen now to hear how connection turns into community—and community into action.
https://hubs.la/Q04gbY4f0

In this month’s Caring Minute, we explore what stoicism can look like for Veterans at the end of life and how we can respond with compassion and intention.

When a Veteran says, “I’m fine,” look closer.
There may be pain beneath the surface, shaped by a lifetime of service, strength, and putting others first.

💡 What this means for care:
• Honor their dignity as roles begin to shift
• Recognize the signs of hidden emotional and physical pain
• Create space for expression, on their terms
• Offer reassurance: You don’t have to carry this alone

Stoicism helped them survive.
Now, it’s our role to help them feel safe enough to be cared for.

Watch. Reflect. Share.
Support a culture where no Veteran has to face the end of life alone.

A powerful, deeply personal conversation you won’t forget.

On today’s Behind the Mission, host Duane France sits down with Carla Stumpf-Patton of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)gram for Survivors to talk about loss, resilience, and turning grief into purpose.

After losing her first husband—a Gulf War Veteran and drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island—to su***de in 1994, Carla faced the unimaginable: she gave birth to their child the day of his funeral. At a time when few resources existed, she made a decision—his death would not be in vain.

Now leading su***de prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts at TAPS, Carla shares how healing begins with connection. From immediate support for families and units, to long-term care through survivor networks and programs like mentorship for bereaved military children, TAPS walks alongside those navigating loss—across all causes of death.

This episode highlights a critical truth: the impact of su***de reaches far beyond one life. Families, friends, battle buddies, and entire communities are affected—and all deserve care. Through postvention, connection, and community, future tragedies can be prevented.

Carla’s mission is clear: honor the life, not just the loss. Share the story. Build connection. Help others find a way forward.

🎧 Listen now and be part of the conversation.
https://hubs.la/Q04f7_Z-0

🎙️ Behind the Mission | New Episode

This week, host Duane France brings you a powerful and deeply human conversation with Karin Tanabe and Victoria Kelly, creators of Atomic Echoes—a moving documentary sharing the untold stories of U.S. Atomic Veterans and Japanese survivors of the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

💬 In this episode:

🇺🇸 Who the Atomic Veterans were—over 67,000 U.S. troops sent to Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the bombs, many of whom returned home in silence
🤫 The weight of 50 years of classified secrecy, buried trauma, and recognition that came decades too late
🇯🇵 The voices of Hibakusha (Japanese survivors), devoted to peace and ensuring the world never forgets
👨‍👩‍👧 Personal connections that shaped the film—Karin’s family ties to post-war Hiroshima and Victoria’s grandfather, a Navy medic who entered Nagasaki weeks after the bombing
⏳ A race against time—capturing these stories while a small number of Atomic Veterans are still alive
🌍 Why nuclear warfare is fundamentally different—and why these stories matter for prevention, remembrance, and global awareness

🎥 Atomic Echoes shines a light on a group of Veterans who lived on the margins of history—without parades, without recognition, and often without a voice.

✨ Why it matters:
This is more than history—it’s a call to listen, to honor, and to ensure these experiences shape a future where this never happens again.

📺 Watch Atomic Echoes on PBS and take time to hear these stories.

🎧 Tune in now and share to help preserve these voices: https://hubs.la/Q04dqhMR0