This week’s Borne the Battle podcast features Marine Corps Veteran Chris Burke and the youngest head coach in NCAA Lacrosse, Mitch Shafer.
Burke discussed his service in the Marines, including his injury and recovery from an IED explosion in Afghanistan. However, Burke’s real story begins on what he did after serving in Afghanistan.
When Burke left service, he went back to school, where he planned on joining the lacrosse program in hopes of playing with his younger brother. But his plans didn’t go the way he had hoped. Instead, he found a new sense of purpose, one that reminded him of the camaraderie that he experienced in the Marines. In time, that new sense of purpose led to Burke accepting the position of defensive coordinator at Maryville University.
Marine Veteran Chris Burke is now mentoring youth as a the defensive coordinator for the Maryville Lacrosse Program
CHRIS IS THE SECOND VETERAN NCAA COACH TO BE ON BORNE THE BATTLE: CLICK HERE FOR #BTBATTLE #51 w/ DUKE’S COACH KRZYZEWSKI
Now, at Maryville, with Shafer’s help, Burke uses his Marine Corps leadership experience to to mentor and coach his college lacrosse players for more than just on the field. From visiting local VA hospitals to sending care packages overseas, Burke and Shafer lead the lacrosse team in bridging the military-civilian gap.
What a great morning for our team volunteering at the VA here in St. Louis. The guys handed out hats, gloves and scarfs. Most importantly our guys got to talk about life experiences with our veterans! pic.twitter.com/gOQhYVFxVU
— Maryville University Lacrosse (@MaryvilleLAX) November 6, 2018
Additional Links:
- https://vaww.blogstest.va.gov/nvspse/grant-program/
- https://www.facebook.com/Sports4Vets/
- https://connectedcare.va.gov/partners/atlas
- https://www.va.gov/anywheretoanywhere/
- https://vbaw.vba.va.gov/USB/letters/2019/20-19-09.pdf
- https://www.oprm.va.gov/privacy/
- https://eca.state.gov/2233
- https://grants.nih.gov/news/virtual-learning/podcasts.htm
- https://www.energy.gov/podcasts/direct-current-energygov-podcast
Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:
- Army Veteran Robert H. Douglas.
Michelle Cannon is a podcast intern with the VA’s Digital Media Engagement Team. She is currently a graduate at Liberty University studying Professional Writing.
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At VAntage Point, we are strong supporters of the Constitution and our rights as American Citizens. However, we do place some restrictions on VAntage Point comments, which is clearly defined in our Social Media Policy. https://vaww.blogstest.va.gov/VAntage/social-media-policy/
As an example, “we do not allow graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments or submissions nor do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful or intended to defame anyone or any organization.”
With that in mind, there was a previously published comment on this post that questioned the integrity of another Veteran and, in my opinion, eluded to stolen Valor. After reviewing the documentation and evidence presented, I have deleted that comment and the other Veteran’s rebuttal.
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