“Oh By The Way” – With Navy Veterans and Pilots Chrystal Campbell and Mike Campbell, Former President of the Blue Angels Foundation

Happy Veterans Day! Chrystal and Mike Campbell are two Navy veterans who grew up with service on their minds, became pilots, and met while sharing the same hanger in Pensacola, FL. Mike was a Naval flight officer after graduating Wesleyan in 1981 and selected as a Blue Angel in 1987. In 1980, Chrystal was one of the first 55 women to graduate from the Naval Academy. She first served in the Philippines, and then became flight instructor, and impressed with Mike during back-seat-training, midflight. Mike talks about the daily Blue Angels debrief ritual after a long day of training – The "Oh By The Way" - That moment at the end of each meeting, when everyone is allotted time to offer whatever is on their mind, some challenge of the day or week, something personal or something special – To a circle of trust and support. 

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Many thanks to Chrystal and Mike Campbell for your service, and ongoing service to so many veterans and military families since 2016, enabling transitioning, mental health, and family support. Your leadership gives hope for more healing to our wounded warriors, and at the same time teaches all of us that we can not only get a little better every day, we should strive to trust each other in order to have that Oh By The Way moment no matter who we are, or what we do.

The Blue Angels Foundation is an all-volunteer Board composed of former Blue Angels and Honorary Blue Angels. Their philosophy is to give back to the next generation of warriors who have sacrificed so much to preserve our freedoms. The Foundation has been supporting causes from Cystic Fibrosis to Breast Cancer - And since 2016 has been targeting that support to transitioning warriors and their families to home and daily life, and making it possible for so many to receive expert assessment and treatment at Home Base and our partners in the Warrior Care Network. Learn more at www.blueangelsfoundation.org

Home Base Nation is the official podcast for Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families – Our team sees veterans, servicemembers and their families addressing the invisible wounds of war at no cost. This is all made possible thanks to a grateful nation – And if you want to learn more on how you can help, visit us at www.homebase.org, or if you or anyone you know would like to connect to care, you can also reach us at 617-724-5202.

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  Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
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The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.