Part of the 15 for 15 Challenge Partner Spotlight Series
Recorded: Jan 6, 2026
For ten years, 15 Things Veterans Want You to Know has helped bridge the cultural divide between Veterans and the communities that support them. As PsychArmor celebrates the 10-year anniversary of this flagship course, we are honoring not only its impact, but the vision that made it possible.
In this Partner Spotlight, PsychArmor’s Jamie Regalia sits down with Alison "Ally" Wagner, a U.S. Navy Veteran, corporate consultant, and PsychArmor Board Member, to explore the ripple effect of cultural understanding. Together, they discuss what happens when civilian professionals gain the confidence to show up for Veterans, why leadership must see Veteran talent as a strategic asset, and how curiosity can turn a single training into lasting change across workplaces and communities.
A Board Member’s “Why” Behind the Mission
As a Navy Veteran who’s now in corporate leadership, what drew you to PsychArmor’s board?
Ally Wagner:
“I love that question, Jamie. I was drawn to PsychArmor because PsychArmor solves a real problem that I’ve seen throughout my career. People want to support Veterans, but they don’t always know how. PsychArmor does a great job of empowering the entire community around Veterans with education and tools that I think actually make a big difference.”
Scaling Understanding While Staying Human
Looking ahead, what excites you most about where this work is headed?
Ally Wagner:
“Looking ahead, I see PsychArmor becoming the trusted national leader in military-connected education. Technology has always been core to PsychArmor’s mission. It’s how we scale understanding and meet people where they are.
“As tech evolves—generative AI is the big buzzword right now—I’m really excited how PsychArmor can adapt its platform to expand reach and personalized training, leveraging cutting-edge technology while staying deeply human at its core.”
What Changes When a Civilian Learns the 15 Things?
If we think about someone who’s never served taking 15 Things Veterans Want You to Know, maybe an HR professional, healthcare provider, or teacher, what shifts for them? What becomes possible after that?
Ally Wagner:
“Before I answer, I want to say quickly: I really love this training. I actually didn’t do it myself until after becoming a board member. The first time I listened to it, I felt overcome with emotions across the spectrum—feeling really seen and validated—and I instantly went and shared it with a lot of different Veterans in my network.
“To answer your question, what shifts ultimately is how people see Veterans and how they show up for them. There are civilian professionals who want to support Veterans but feel unsure how to do that. This training helps them gain confidence in understanding Veterans as whole people and knowing how to show up in meaningful ways.
“It helps them learn better language for engaging with Veterans, gain empathy without stereotypes, and walk away ready to act in a positive way. This shift doesn’t just change conversations—it changes outcomes for the positive.”
The Part That Hit Home: Veterans and Asking for Help
As a Veteran yourself, what resonates with you most about the 15 Things training?
Ally Wagner:
“The whole training is spectacular, but for me personally, there’s a part that says Veterans can have a hard time asking for help. Military culture is built on service, sacrifice, and mission-first thinking, which usually means you’re always putting others and their needs above your own.
“In a civilian workplace, that often means Veterans won’t advocate for themselves, but they’ll be the first to advocate for others. This training helps civilians recognize that dynamic and be really intentional about empowering Veterans so their strengths don’t come at the expense of their well-being.”
“Service Changes You” and Both Things Can Be True
What do you think civilians miss most often about the Veteran experience, and why does that matter?
Ally Wagner:
“There’s a part of the training that talks about how military service changes you. When I reflect on my own service, there were absolutely incredible moments—wonderful people, amazing experiences—and it was also filled with really hard moments, too. And both of those things can be true.
“You can have a career built on really exciting, wonderful moments, but also hard ones, and they shape you. Having empathy for how someone’s service has impacted their life is really important.”
Jamie Regalia:
“My husband is an active Marine—23 years. I’ve known him since before he went in, since I was 17. It does change you. And if you weren’t there for that transformation, it’s hard to understand how it came about.”
Ally Wagner:
“Thank you for your husband’s service and for your service, too. The family serves with the military members. That’s something people don’t necessarily realize. The whole family is impacted. It’s a choice the service member makes, but their whole ecosystem signs up in a lot of ways too.
You Might Not Wear the Uniform Anymore, But It Still Shapes You
Veterans are showing up every day with or without the uniform. What do you wish civilians understood about that?
Ally Wagner:
“I left service in 2017, and in a lot of ways that feels like yesterday. But it’s now 2026—almost a decade. I haven’t been active duty in uniform for years, but that doesn’t change my service or how it impacted me.
“Even as time passes, the experiences—the good, the bad, the hard—stay with you. They continue to shape every aspect of my personal life and professional life. People in my ecosystem know I’m a Veteran, but because it’s been a while, sometimes they see me as Ally the corporate professional—not Ally who’s a Veteran.
“I want civilians to know: I might be wearing a different corporate uniform now, but my service is still a huge part of who I am and my leadership style.”
When Employers Understand the Person Behind the Resume
When an employer truly understands Veteran talent—not just the resume, but the person—what changes?
Ally Wagner:
“A resume tells you what somebody did. But when you understand the person behind the resume, it tells you how they did it—how they led, how they adapted, how they showed up for others. That’s what really matters.
“When employers get that, Veterans don’t just fit in—they thrive. And that benefits not just the organization, but all of its stakeholders, internal and external.”
Veteran Talent as a Leadership Asset, Not a Check-the-Box Population
Where do you think education can play the biggest role in shaping those outcomes?
Ally Wagner:
“I think executives should think more about Veterans as a leadership asset and maybe less just as a unique population within their workforce. There needs to be more understanding of how to translate Veteran skill sets, which on paper might look very different.
“Veterans are trained to operate in ambiguity, operate in the gray, make decisions with incomplete information, and put the team and mission first. These are exactly the capabilities organizations say they want—and need—to operate in complex, fast-changing environments.
“My advice for executives is twofold. First: design systems that unlock performance—clear expectations, strong onboarding, feedback loops, purpose-driven work. These aren’t just Veteran accommodations. They’re high-performance practices, and Veterans thrive where those systems exist.
“Second: measure what matters. Track Veteran hiring, promotion, and retention. If Veterans aren’t advancing, that’s a leadership signal—not necessarily a Veteran shortcoming.”
From Gratitude to Outcomes: The Business Case for Veteran Readiness
How do you talk about the value of Veteran readiness in corporate spaces?
Ally Wagner:
“At the end of the day, Veteran value isn’t just about gratitude. Gratitude is important and welcome, but it’s about outcomes. When organizations understand and intentionally leverage Veteran talent, they get stronger teams, better leaders, and a more resilient culture.”
Ally Wagner (continued):
“A great organization doesn’t just say ‘thank you for your service’—it also says, ‘We know that when we hired you, we hired someone with a special skill set.’ Someone who runs to the roar. Someone who isn’t scared of a challenge. Someone who can lead with compassion and be decisive.
“And it’s a win-win. You’re setting that Veteran up to thrive, and it becomes a force multiplier in your organization. This is not just the right thing to do. It’s an investment in your firm, your culture, your clients, and customers.”
Metrics Matter: Are Veterans Thriving After They’re Hired?
You’ve mentioned measurement. Why is that so important?
Ally Wagner:
“Metrics matter because it’s not just ‘did we hire enough Veterans this year.’ What really matters is: did we set them up to thrive?
“If you’re seeing lower promotion rates or higher attrition for Veterans, you can’t assume that’s a Veteran problem. Hard no. If that’s happening, you hold up a mirror as an organization and ask what you could be doing better to help Veterans succeed.”
“I’ve Got Your Six”: A Mentorship Moment That Changed Everything
You spoke earlier about Veterans struggling to advocate for themselves. Have you seen leadership make a difference there?
Ally Wagner:
“I had a mentor who was a Veteran. In our first check-in, he said, ‘You are a woman and you are a Veteran—and those are historically two populations that do the worst job at advocating for themselves. That’s why you have me.’
“I was speechless. He got it. He understood that advocating for myself felt unnatural—bragging on my teammates was easy, but talking about my accomplishments felt uncomfortable.
“He basically told me, ‘I’ve got your back. I’ve got your six.’ And I felt so seen. It felt safe. I want to pay that forward for people on my teams.
“That’s the force multiplier effect of leadership. You can create that environment for someone—and then it inspires them to do it for others.”
Why the 15 for 15 Challenge Matters
The 15 for 15 Challenge helps keep courses like 15 Things Veterans Want You to Know free for individual learners. Why does that matter to you?
Ally Wagner:
“Keeping 15 Things free matters because access should never be the barrier to understanding. The people who want to support Veterans—family members, managers, community members—often need this knowledge the most. Free access allows empathy and knowledge to scale.”
A Final Message: Stay Curious
If you could leave one message for those watching, listening, or reading about the role each of us can play in becoming more Veteran Ready, what would it be?
Ally Wagner:
“I would challenge folks to stay curious. Ask with care, listen with humility, and stay open to learning. That willingness to understand is how each of us becomes more Veteran Ready.
“And it’s not a one-and-done. Curiosity means learning isn’t just a checkbox. Veterans can have very different experiences—even serving at the same time. The military is changing. The world is changing. Training like the 15 Things is a powerful conversation starter, but it should be part of a lifelong pursuit of learning—about Veterans, and really about anyone whose experiences are different from your own.”
Veteran Readiness Is a Force Multiplier
Ally Wagner’s perspective highlights the heart of Veteran readiness: it’s not simply awareness. It’s action. When civilian professionals learn how to communicate with humility and confidence, when leaders design systems that unlock performance, and when organizations move from gratitude to outcomes, Veterans don’t just enter workplaces—they thrive in them.
Jamie Regalia:
“Ally, thank you for sharing your experience and leadership perspective. The heart you bring to this work—both as a Veteran and PsychArmor Board Member—is truly special to us. Your voice helps show what becomes possible when cultural understanding becomes part of everyday leadership.”
How You Can Support the Next Chapter of 15 Things Veterans Want You to Know
Join the 15 for 15 Challenge
Conversations like this one highlight the real momentum behind community-based prevention. When people gain the cultural understanding they need, they feel confident stepping in, speaking up, and standing alongside Veterans.
As we honor the 10-year legacy of this flagship course, we invite you to join us in the 15 for 15 Challenge.
You can make an immediate impact by:
• Watching the course
• Sharing it with your network
• Donating to keep this training free for individual learners
Together, we can ensure the next decade of learners and the communities they touch are even better prepared to support our nation’s Veterans and their families.
👉 Join the challenge and give today: https://giving.psycharmor.org/page/FUNQSPZZJAQ