For Army veteran Eric D. Thomas, the fight didn’t end after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After returning home, he encountered the same frustrating gaps in care that leave so many veterans and first responders behind. Instead of turning away, he stepped in—and founded the CJ3 Foundation to stand in that gap.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Marty Rossman and Joseph VanFonda, USMC SgtMaj (Ret) & CEO of DVNF speak with Eric about his military career, the pain that led to CJ3’s creation, and the mission that now fuels his life: serving those who’ve served us.
Together, they explore CJ3’s four pillars—advocacy, mental wellness, service dogs, and outdoor retreats—and the deep personal commitment behind them. Eric also opens up about his own journey through trauma and healing, and what keeps him going when the weight of it all feels too heavy.
Whether you’re a veteran, a supporter, or someone who believes in the power of second chances and service-driven purpose, this conversation will move you—and may just help someone you care about.
🔗 Learn more about the CJ3 Foundation: https://cj3foundation.org
🎙 Access more episodes of the Mission Possible Podcast: https://www.dvnf.org/podcast
#CJ3Foundation #Veterans #MissionPossiblePodcast #DVNF #CombatVeterans #ServiceDogs #FirstResponders #VeteranSupport #HealingThroughService
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.