Olivia Nunn knew from a young age that she would join the Army one day; her father had been a combat engineer. She planned to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but low test scores in math prevented her admission. Nunn’s parents supported her decision to join the military, but they insisted that she receive an education and become an officer, so she enrolled at Radford University in Virginia and joined the school’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.
After college, Nunn wanted to become an armor officer and be part of a tank crew, but when she joined the Army in 2001, women weren’t allowed to fill certain roles in the military. Instead, she spent a decade as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Officer in the Chemical Corps and served multiple tours of duty in Iraq before moving into public affairs. For several years, she helped to produce the Army’s Soldier for Life podcast and eventually hosted the program.
“It looks easy, it looks glamorous,” Nunn says of podcasting, “but the truth is there’s a lot of work that goes into it.”
Nunn spent a total of 20 years in the Army and recently retired. Afterward, she became a communications consultant and a beauty queen.
“Your identity is wrapped up in your uniform,” Nunn says, “whether you do it for two years or 20 years.”
While she was still on active duty, Nunn suffered a mental health crisis and contemplated suicide. In this episode of Borne the Battle, she opens up about her experience and talks about how she found the help she needed, the challenges of transitioning from soldier to civilian and the need for better mental health resources for military personnel.
EXTRA LINKS
#239: Future of Team Rubicon with Marine Veteran Jake Wood, Former Sniper, Veterans Coalition for Vaccinations
#238: Mental Health for ANY Veteran w/ Army Veteran Dr. Anneke Vandenbroek
#237: Sustainable Employment for Veterans and Military Spouses w/ RADM Dan Kloeppel
#236: Treating PTSD w/o Pharmaceuticals w/ Navy SEAL Veteran Mikal Vega, Actor, Producer, Director, Yoga Teacher
#235: VA Secretary Denis McDonough
#234: Nurses in Vietnam w/ Army Veteran Diane Carlson Evans
#233: Honoring Vietnam Veterans with MG Peter Aylward
#232: "Buenas Noches Capitán Mamá," Air Force Veteran Graciela Tiscareño-Sato, Publisher, Author, Global Marketer
#231: Combat Wounded to CEO w/ Army Veteran Dawn Halfaker
#230: Benefits Breakdown, Veterans Readiness and Employment Program (VR&E)
#229: Automation Manufacturing w/ Air Force Veteran Jackson Henderson
#228: LtGen Walter Gaskin, 19th Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee
BtB Rewind: Navy Veteran Debra Russell
#227: New York Times Bestselling Author John Del Vechicco, Army Veteran, Historian, Hiker
BONUS: COVID Update No. 8, Home Loan Forbearance Protections Amid COVID-19
#226: Marine Corp Veteran Scott Stump, President and CEO, National Desert Storm Memorial Association
#225: Jack Carr, Navy Veteran, Former SEAL / Sniper, New York Times Bestselling Author
Meritorious Segments - Tanner's Top 10 of 2020
Most Downloaded Benefits Breakdowns of 2020
Top 8 Most Downloaded Interviews of 2020
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