BTM27- Bridging the Technical Divide for Veterans
Show Summary
On this episode, Marine Corps Veteran and Chief Executive Officer of Tech for Troops, Mark Casper, joins the show to talk about how his organization is bridging the digital divide for veterans through training and resources.
About Today’s Guest
Mark Casper is the President and Executive Director of Tech For Troops (T4T) a non-partisan, non-profit based in Richmond, VA. Tech For Troops Mission is dedicated to empowering Veterans with computers, skills, and Information Technology (IT) workforce training. While located in Richmond, Tech For Troops has National reach.
He believes that working computers can provide a new life to struggling veterans rather than being discarded. Many veterans face two significant barriers when competing in the modern workforce: the lack of a computer and the lack of the skills needed to effectively use that computer. Under his guidance, Tech For Troops gifts refurbished computers and instituted a Veteran Improvement Program to teach computer literacy.
He is a United States Marine Corps veteran and a career IT expert who focused on large-scale government and civilian IT projects. and has worked with Northrup Grumman, Capital One and as a contractor CPIC planner for the Veterans Affairs
Mark was the owner of a small consulting firm until Tech For Troops recruited him. Married for 35 years to his soulmate, a father of two young women and a proud “grampy” to two amazing granddaughters, Mark has found his place in life (for work) at Tech For Troops.
PsychArmor Resource of the Week
The PsychArmor resource for this week is the course series on internet literacy for veterans, sponsored by Internet Essentials by Comcast. The internet has changed how we communicate and share information. There’s a wide array of resources for Veterans and their families on the internet. With the generous support of Comcast Internet Essentials, PsychArmor created a series of courses with instructions on how to access and use them. Learn how to find support programs in your community, access medical services and VA benefits, find jobs, and prepare for employment in this series of short courses. You can check out this resource by going to https://learn.psycharmor.org/collections?category=internet-literacy
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Theme Music
Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com