We introduce Vet Vision as a platform for veterans, sponsors, supporters, and volunteers to speak about service, transition, and recovery. I interview Austin Wagner, a United States Army veteran who became a tattoo artist and later a master engraver. He recounts his eighteen years of service, combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, and a medical separation after health issues and PTSD. He explains how engraving and art became a therapeutic path and how his award winning memorial pieces are displayed at the VA. We discuss his creative process, his work with other veterans, and upcoming shows and charity projects. I close by noting how art and community support can aid veteran transition and by sharing how listeners can find and contact Austin.

Links

Co-Host

Aaron Q. Seibert

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/aqseibert

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aqseibert

Email - aqseibert@yahoo.com

Co-Host

Chef James L. “JB” Brown, AAC

Veterans Transition Resource Center

https://vtrc.us

PRODUCER

Brian Colburn

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/Bcolburn

Retired Navy Master Chief Angel Escribano shares how 23 years of leadership shaped his next mission: helping service members and veterans make informed decisions about VA financing, housing, and long-term financial stability.

Guest Links

Goatlocker Realty & Lending

https://goatlocker.us/

Century 21 Masters

https://homes.c21masters.com/murrieta-team/angel-escribano

Co-Host

Aaron Q. Seibert

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/aqseibert

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aqseibert

Email - aqseibert@yahoo.com

Co-Host

Chef James L. “JB” Brown, AAC

Veterans Transition Resource Center

https://vtrc.us

PRODUCER

Brian Colburn

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/Bcolburn

I present Jake Salzman, who overcame profound post‑traumatic stress and a debilitating opioid addiction through the intercession of veterans’ court and the restorative regimen at Camp Hope, and who now serves as a chapter manager for the PTSD Foundation of America, devoting himself to the rehabilitation and reintegration of fellow veterans. I recount Jake’s trajectory from a Marine infantryman who confronted the exigencies of combat and the attendant grief of fallen comrades, to a man adrift after service, ensnared by alcohol and opiates, and ultimately compelled to seek aid when legal consequences forced a reckoning. I describe how the concomitant effects of therapy, chemical dependency counseling, equine work, faith‑based support, and structured peer mentorship at Camp Hope engendered a rigorous and transformative recovery. I note that Jake’s lived experience now informs his vocation: we observe him guiding incarcerated veterans, assisting with benefits and legal navigation, and leading outreach to ensure others do not endure their struggles in isolation. I affirm that his testimony exemplifies the restorative potential of veteran‑centric programs and the salutary impact of pathway‑oriented court alternatives, and we urge listeners to recognize the concrete avenues to help that exist for those similarly afflicted.

Takeaways:

• I joined the Marine Corps because family service and 9/11 convinced me to fight.
• I saw combat, lost fellow Marines, and learned that training cannot prepare you for grief.
• After discharge I felt a deep loss of purpose which led me to heavy drinking and opiate addiction.
• I reached a low point with arrest and homelessness, and a veterans court offer led me to Camp Hope.
• At Camp Hope I received trauma therapy, substance counseling, equine therapy, and spiritual support, which helped me surrender and begin recovery.
• Now I serve as a chapter manager and assistant manager on the outreach team, and I help veterans access benefits, legal aid, and residential treatment by walking with them through the process.
• We emphasized that veterans courts and community programs provide critical options that can change legal outcomes and restore hope through structured care and peer mentorship.

John Saltzmann on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-saltzmann-9291a8282

Co-Host

Aaron Q. Seibert

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/aqseibert

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aqseibert

Email - aqseibert@yahoo.com

Co-Host

Chef James L. “JB” Brown, AAC

Veterans Transition Resource Center

https://vtrc.us

PRODUCER

Brian Colburn

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/Bcolburn