n this episode, Mountain Valor volunteer Nick Mastrovito turns the mic around and interviews Katt, Executive Director of Mountain Valor Veteran Services, about how the organization started, why rural veterans are so often overlooked, and what it actually takes to meet veterans and families where they are.

Katt shares the story behind Mountain Valor's mission, the realities of serving aging, disabled, and isolated veterans in rural Virginia, and why one-on-one, in-person support still matters—especially when systems are complex and resources are hard to reach. The conversation also touches on what Mountain Valor has learned from the field, the gaps they see most often, and where the organization is headed next.

This episode offers an inside look at Mountain Valor through the lens of someone who helped build it—and a reminder that meaningful veteran support is rarely quick, easy, or remote.

In this episode, Katt Whittenberger — retired Navy Senior Chief and Executive Director of Mountain Valor Veteran Services — speaks directly to civilian mental health providers about the realities facing service members, veterans, and their families (SMVF), especially in rural communities.

Drawing from personal experience transitioning out of the military, Katt explores isolation, loss of belonging, communication fatigue, and the deep mistrust that can form when systems fail to protect or understand veterans and survivors. She also addresses why many veterans — particularly women — go unidentified in civilian settings, and how military sexual trauma can erode trust in all systems, not just the military.

This conversation is not about turning civilian clinicians into VA experts. It's about recognizing the hidden context veterans carry into civilian care — and understanding how clarity, consistency, and presence can change outcomes.

• The disorientation of military-to-civilian transition

• Loss of identity, belonging, and shared language after service

• Why isolation is often protective, not avoidant

• Communication fatigue and constant self-editing after transition

• Why some veteran spaces still don't feel inclusive — especially for women

• Rural veterans and compounded access barriers

• Military sexual trauma: prevalence vs. reporting

• How institutional betrayal erodes trust across all systems

• Why many women veterans don't identify as veterans

• Practical ways civilian providers can better support SMVF clients

• Veterans may present guarded not because they're resistant, but because trust has been broken before.

• Isolation is often a rational response to repeated misalignment.

• Military sexual trauma affects both men and women — with higher individual risk for women and higher raw numbers for men.

• Trauma experienced within systems often leads to mistrust of all systems later in life.

• Asking "Did you ever serve in the military?" identifies more veterans than asking "Are you a veteran?"

• Navigation barriers — not lack of motivation — often drive distress.

Mountain Valor is a veteran-led nonprofit serving rural Virginia through weekly in-person outreach, education, and benefits navigation for veterans, caregivers, spouses, and survivors. Mountain Valor also hosts Mountain Valor Fest — the state's only large-scale rural veteran outreach event — and is expanding in 2026 to include focused outreach in elder care and aging veteran settings.

Learn more: https://www.mtnvalor.org

• Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention & Response (SAPR) Program

• VA Office of Rural Health

• Rural Health Information Hub (Veterans & Rural Health)

This episode discusses military sexual trauma and systemic harm. Listener discretion is advised.

When a veteran is struggling, the impact ripples far beyond them. Spouses, caregivers, children, and extended family often carry invisible weight — trying to hold everything together while navigating complicated systems for help. In this episode, we talk honestly about what support for veteran families really looks like, where to find it, and why asking for help isn't a weakness — it's a survival skill.

We'll cover:

• How to connect with trusted mental health resources

• Where veteran families can find caregiver support

• Crisis resources for veterans and their loved ones

• Why early intervention matters in rural communities

📞 If you or someone you love is in crisis:
Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 (Press 1) or text 838255.

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🌐 Learn more about Mountain Valor and find support at: www.mtnvalor.org