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What happens when your personal values collide with the organization you're expected to serve? For military women, this clash often leads to a profound sense of moral injury that can impact every aspect of life.

Shelly Rood brings a refreshingly candid perspective to this challenging reality. As a former military intelligence officer who now coaches high-achieving leaders, she shares powerful insights about navigating the tension between excellence and authenticity. The conversation takes us beyond typical military discussions into the raw, human experience of feeling perpetually at odds with systemic expectations.

"When I watched Cinderella," Shelly reveals, "I wasn't identifying with the princess waiting to be rescued—I was the little mouse making things happen." This telling observation illuminates the fundamental disconnect many service women experience when their natural leadership tendencies clash with traditional gender expectations both within and outside the military structure.

Dr. Roberts and Shelly discuss the false dichotomies that plague military culture—the myth that compassionate leadership somehow compromises combat readiness, or that family support inherently conflicts with operational demands. Their conversation explores how these artificial divisions particularly impact women who are navigating dual identities as leaders and caregivers.

The statistics are sobering: the average female veteran is 46 years old, and more than half are single. Traditional support systems rarely address their unique needs, leaving many to create their own networks from scratch. Through her work with Others Over Self and Woman Veteran Strong, Shelly is building those crucial communities where authentic conversations can flourish.

Whether you're a current service member, veteran, or simply interested in authentic leadership, this episode offers valuable perspective on how to maintain your core values while operating in challenging environments. Discover why Shelly believes we need to strip away gender from these conversations and focus instead on our shared humanity—creating space for genuine connection and growth.

Learn more about Shelly and her organization at:

https://missionambition.org

https://othersoverself.com/

https://othersoverself.com/woman-veteran-strong/

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Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

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Moral injury remains one of the most misunderstood challenges facing women veterans today. When actions during military service violate one's deeply held moral beliefs, the resulting invisible wounds can devastate lives long after uniforms are hung up. Unlike PTSD, moral injury hides beneath the surface—characterized by shame, guilt, and internal conflict rather than outward distress.

Dr. Daniel Roberts, president of Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen Inc., takes listeners through an illuminating exploration of how to recognize these hidden wounds. Drawing from his upcoming book "Moral Injury: A Guidebook for Women Veterans," he outlines the subtle yet profound indicators that something isn't right: social withdrawal that happens gradually, decreased work performance when once-driven servicewomen can no longer concentrate, sleep disturbances that range from insomnia to vivid nightmares, and spiritual distress that shatters previously held beliefs about justice and meaning.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is its comprehensive approach to identification. Beyond examining behavioral changes like substance abuse and anger issues, Dr. Roberts delves into the emotional landscape of moral injury—where women veterans might experience overwhelming guilt, profound loss of meaning, or betrayal that fundamentally alters how they view themselves and the world. The physical manifestations, from chronic pain to appetite disturbances, illuminate how deeply moral injury affects the entire person. For women veterans struggling with unexplained feelings of unworthiness or those who work with them, this episode offers critical insights and a path forward through understanding. Listen, share, and reach out for your free copy of the guidebook to begin the journey toward healing these profound wounds.

Women veterans can receive a free copy of the book by emailing Dr. Roberts at droberts@misns.org.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

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Lieutenant Colonel Alea Nadeem's story begins with trauma that would break many people – kidnapped at age eight by her own father and taken from the United States to Iraq for nearly four years. Born to an American Catholic mother and Iraqi Muslim father, cultural and religious tensions tore her family apart when her father took the family on what was supposed to be a visit to Iraq. When it came time to leave, he forced her mother to choose which daughter to take back to America, leaving young Alea behind.

This profound childhood betrayal left Alea with deep abandonment issues that continue to surface in her relationships today. She describes becoming "hyper-independent" as a protective measure – struggling to ask for help, reluctant to depend on others, and being devastated when someone fails to follow through on promised assistance. Yet rather than allowing this trauma to define her, Aaliyah transformed it into remarkable resilience.

"I've never had a harder day in my life since being kidnapped," she reflects, explaining how this perspective helps her face new challenges with confidence. After returning to America and overcoming cultural readjustment struggles, Alea joined the Air Force, rising through the ranks from enlisted to officer, ultimately becoming a Lieutenant Colonel and Commander.

Her proudest professional achievement came from recognizing a seemingly small but significant issue affecting servicewomen – outdated hair policies causing physical harm. Using her intelligence training, she gathered data proving these policies were founded not on operational necessity but on outdated cultural attitudes from the 1940s. Despite facing five years of rejection, she persisted respectfully through the chain of command until reaching success – changing not only Air Force policy but influencing similar changes across other military branches and even internationally.

Now Alea has set her sights on a new mission: running for Congress in her hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Focusing on manufacturing revival, combating the opioid crisis, and advocating for servicewomen's equipment needs, she hopes to bring her military leadership experience and problem-solving approach to government. Throughout her remarkable journey, her measure of success remains not positions or accomplishments but character – how she treats others and what kind of difference she makes in their lives.

Want to learn more or support her campaign? Visit https://aleaforcongress.com or find her on social media platforms.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/

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Have you ever wondered what happens when your entire world changes in an instant? When the person you thought you were suddenly doesn't exist anymore? Kijuan Amey's powerful story answers these questions with unflinching honesty and remarkable hope.

After ten years in the Air Force as an in-flight refueling specialist, Kijuan's life trajectory changed forever when a motorcycle accident claimed his eyesight in 2017. Waking up in darkness, he faced the devastating reality that his military career, independence, and future plans had vanished overnight. "I went from being this super independent 25-year-old to now being this crazily dependent 25-year-old," Kijuan reflects, describing the depression and suicidal thoughts that followed.

Yet amidst this profound loss, Kijuan discovered something remarkable – while he had lost his physical sight, his vision remained intact. "Before and after my accident, I was always looking to help others," he explains. This fundamental purpose became his anchor through rehabilitation, learning to navigate life as a blind person, and eventually founding Amey Motivation LLC to inspire others facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Kijuan's journey teaches us about resilience in its purest form. From learning to use assistive technologies to mastering everyday skills again, each small victory became cause for celebration. "I wasn't able to do that last week, and now I am," became the mantra that pulled him from despair toward purpose. His approach crystallized into what he calls "the Will to Overcome" – Win In Life's Lessons – extracting value from every experience, no matter how painful.

This conversation isn't just about blindness or disability – it's about the universal human experience of facing unexpected devastation and choosing to move forward anyway. As Kijuan reminds us, "Every situation in life teaches you a lesson." His upcoming book "Don't Focus on Why Me" expands on this philosophy, rejecting victimhood in favor of growth and possibility.

Ready to transform your perspective on life's challenges? Visit ameymotivation.com to connect with Kiwan, book him as a speaker, or explore his teachings on resilience, adaptability, and finding purpose through pain.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/

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Dr. Daniel Roberts pulls back the curtain on an overlooked trauma affecting thousands of military women—one that doesn't yet have a household name. As president of the Moral Injury Support Network for Service Women, he reveals how violating one's deeply held moral code creates wounds different from PTSD but equally devastating.

The conversation begins with shocking real-life examples: a woman forced by her commander to have an abortion, another treated as if her very presence in the military was wrong. These aren't isolated incidents. Conservative estimates suggest at least one in four female service members experiences moral injury, whether from a single traumatic event or death by a thousand cuts of daily disrespect and harassment.

What makes Dr. Roberts' approach revolutionary is addressing the broken support system itself. He describes how veterans typically must retell their traumatic stories repeatedly to different providers—a process that retraumatizes without healing. His organization implements a "tell your story once" model where veterans receive continuous case management, eliminating the isolation and abandonment so common in their recovery journeys.

Most powerfully, Roberts shares how healing is possible. A woman who carried guilt for decades over deaths during the Rwandan genocide discovered through therapy that only 5% of the situation was actually within her control. This perspective shift—along with forgiveness work—created a breakthrough that felt "like light from heaven." These transformative moments demonstrate why properly addressing moral injury could significantly impact veteran suicide rates.

Whether you're a veteran struggling with unnamable trauma, a care provider seeking better tools, or simply someone who cares about those who served, this conversation offers crucial insights into healing our deepest moral wounds. Reach out to https://misns.org to access free resources or volunteer to support this vital mission.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/

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What does it take to keep moving forward when life hits you with its absolute worst? Andy Campbell has endured childhood sexual abuse, lost his mother at an early age, become estranged from his father, battled stage four pancreatic cancer, and faced the devastating suicide of his youngest son. Yet somehow, he's not only survived—he's found a way to thrive.

In our conversation, Andy reveals the transformative power of his "15 core beliefs"—principles that have carried him through what would crush many of us. "No one outruns the universe," he shares, explaining how the pain we try to escape will inevitably catch up with us. Instead of running, Andy advocates facing our challenges directly, allowing us to eventually move beyond mere survival into truly living.

Andy's insights about wisdom coming through experience strike at the heart of resilience. While praying for wisdom as a young man, he didn't realize the difficult path this would take him down. "Wisdom comes from experience, and not all those experiences will be good," he reflects. Yet through each trial, Andy developed the capacity to observe, learn, and grow.

Perhaps most powerful is his understanding of life as an equation: "Equations are constant, variables are constantly changing." This perspective offers profound hope—no matter how dire our current circumstances, the variables in our lives are always shifting. "Give the universe a chance to work those variables differently," Andy encourages. "Even if they're slight, they might have an outsized positive impact on the summation of your life."

Seven years after his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Andy shows no visible signs of disease—a medical rarity that speaks to both his approach and his message: Don't quit. For anyone facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, this conversation offers not just inspiration but practical wisdom for finding your way forward.

"Overcoming Life’s Toughest Setbacks: 15 Breakthrough Core Beliefs to Transform Challenges into Opportunities!" is your practical guide to resilience, peace of mind, and unshackling your potential.

Go to Andy's website: http://www.askandycampbell.com/ or find Andy's book on Amazon by search for Andy Campbell.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/

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What happens when a highly accomplished military officer confronts her own mortality? Dr. Deanna Won's story begins at the Air Force Academy in the 1980s, where as one of just 200 women in her class, she faced an environment that tested her resolve from day one. "They tried to railroad me out," she reveals, describing both gender-based discrimination and racial bias that created unique challenges beyond what her fellow female cadets experienced.

Through unflinching determination and faith, Deanna not only survived but thrived, embarking on an extraordinary 30-year military career as a physicist. Her expertise in lasers, satellites, and defense technologies took her around the world, though certain assignments brought painful encounters with workplace harassment so severe it left her in tears in bathroom stalls, praying for intervention.

The most profound challenge arrived when, at the height of her professional success as a commander, Deanna received a devastating ovarian cancer diagnosis. Two years later, doctors placed her in hospice with just four weeks to live. The pain was excruciating—"a 20 out of 10"—and conventional treatments offered little relief. It was in this darkest moment that Deanna's scientific mind and spiritual heart found common ground.

Drawing on her background as both military scientist and daughter of a Chinese medicine lineage, Deanna embarked on a holistic healing journey. She discovered that true recovery demanded attention to multiple dimensions: physical through dietary changes, emotional through therapy to address unresolved conflicts, and spiritual through deepened faith. Miraculously, her tumors began to shrink within months.

Today, as a board-certified holistic health practitioner and bestselling author, Deanna guides others through their own healing journeys. Her approach identifies trapped emotions, generational patterns, and physical imbalances that conventional treatment might miss. Most importantly, she teaches that healing comes in manageable layers—"take little baby steps"—rather than overwhelming transformations.

Whether facing health challenges, professional obstacles, or personal struggles, Deanna's message resonates with profound simplicity: "Never lose hope. As long as we're on this side of the veil, things can change." Her extraordinary journey from military commander to terminal patient to holistic healer offers compelling evidence that with openness, patience, and faith, we can overcome even what seems impossible.

Ready to explore holistic healing? Visit https://deannawon.com/ to connect with Dr. Won and discover how her unique approach might support your own journey toward wholeness.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/

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Moral injury – the profound wound that occurs when one's deepest moral codes are violated – affects countless veterans yet remains largely misunderstood. This powerful episode brings together three voices at the forefront of healing this invisible wound: retired Colonel Lisa Carrington Firman, who transformed her experiences with combat and military sexual trauma into award-winning books; psychologist Dr. Pat Pernicano and retired chaplain Kerry Haynes, who developed an innovative curriculum combining psychological and spiritual approaches to moral injury healing.

Unlike PTSD, moral injury strikes at the core of identity and meaning, often manifesting as crushing shame, guilt, or a profound sense of betrayal. For women veterans like Lisa, military sexual trauma frequently becomes a source of moral injury when the systems meant to protect them fail. For combat veterans and military leaders, impossible decisions that result in harm - regardless of necessity - can create moral wounds that fester for decades.

What makes this conversation extraordinary is the insight into how healing happens. Through metaphorical storytelling, creative expression, and community support, veterans gradually process pain they've often carried silently for years. The "cracked glass bowl" exercise described by Dr. Pernicano demonstrates how veterans identify their wounds before reimagining themselves transformed through healing - not erasing trauma but integrating it into a new, whole identity.

The discussion addresses a crucial reality: isolation compounds moral injury, while connection facilitates healing. As Kerry notes, "Moral injury happens in community, so healing best happens in community." Yet many veterans, especially those in leadership positions, feel unable to reveal vulnerability. This helps explain why some traumas remain hidden for decades, as Lisa's did for forty years before she found her voice through writing.

Whether you're a veteran struggling with moral injury, someone who loves a veteran, or a provider seeking better ways to help, this episode offers concrete pathways toward healing, forgiveness, and post-traumatic growth. Discover how combining psychological and spiritual approaches can transform even the deepest moral wounds into strength and purpose.

Are you carrying a moral injury or know someone who might be? This conversation could be the first step toward a lighter, more purposeful future beyond the weight of these invisible wounds.

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/