Mississippi Salute Podcast - Season Two Premiere AlertOur first episode of the season features James "Max" Fenn, Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board Chairman. Fenn is a United States Army and Marine Corps veteran and has experienced combat in several military and political conflicts. After his military service, Fenn has since served our state in various government and intelligence roles ..read more

Major General (Ret.) Augustus Leon Collins is the first African-American to serve as the Adjutant General of the Mississippi National Guard (from 2012 to 2016). In this episode, he discusses his journey of more than 35 years of military service, his upbringing in northeast Mississippi and how a "chance" opportunity led him to join the United States Army ..read more

Chris Ellis serves as our Executive Legislative Liaison. He is a retired Staff Sergeant with the Mississippi Army National Guard, having served 16 years with the 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was medically retired in 2017 due to injuries sustained in the line of duty. In this epidsode, Ellis provides an overview of the VA claims process and what you can do secure the best possible outcome for Veterans benefits ..read more

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Stephen C. McCraney was appointed as the Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency by Governor Tate Reeves on January 28, 2021. Before assuming the role of Executive Director, Mr. McCraney served as the agency’s Deputy Director and Chief of Staff since February 2016. During his tenure, he has led 18 federally declared disasters, eight emergency measures declarations, and numerous state emergencies—those disasters ranging from Hurricane Ida, the Jackson Water Crisis, and the March 24th tornadoes. Mr. McCraney has extensive experience responding ..read more

On this episode of the Mississippi Salute Podcast, we feature one of our non-profit partners, Friends of Mississippi Veterans (FOMV).Jack Winstead, its Board Chairman, discusses the organization's formation, how they were instrumental in creating our two state veterans memorial cemeteries, and the fundraising they generate yearly to benefit those cemeteries and our Veterans Homes ..read more

David Smith is a World War II Veteran and a resident at our Mississippi Veterans Home at Kosciusko. The 97-year-old shares why he wanted to join the United States Armed Forces and recalls some of his most vivid war experiences ..read more

On this episode of the Mississippi Salute Podcast, we focus on our Veterans Memorial Cemeteries.William Rhine, Cemetery Director at our Kilmichael location (and U.S. Navy Veteran), discusses the various burial options, eligibility requirements and no-cost benefits for any Veteran who chooses our Cemetery system as their final resting place.Find out why our Memorial Cemeteries ranked amongst the nation's best when serving America's resting heroes and their families ..read more

On this episode of the Mississippi Salute Podcast, we focus on one of our pillars within the services we offer to America's heroes - the Mississippi Veterans Homes System.Our Veterans Homes serve approximately 600 residents in four facilities across the Magnolia state. Our skilled nursing teams and administrative staff provide compassionate and specialized care for each resident at the facility.In this episode, Gerald Johnson - Director of Veterans Homes Operations, gives you an overview of the services we provide in our Veterans Homes, eligibility requirements, and a glimpse of the day-to-day ..read more

Major General (Retired) Jeff Hammond received his commission as a United States Army Officer upon graduation from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1978, where he served as team captain of the football team and starred as a quarterback.His military leadership roles include serving as commanding general of the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division and commander of U.S. Forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Gen. Hammond currently serves as his alma mater's Director of Military Affairs. His passion is serving active-duty military service members, Veterans and their families who seek a quality ..read more

In honor of Women's History Month, we're proud to feature one of our Veterans Affairs Board Members, Colonel (Ret.) Deborah Coleman. Coleman served in the Mississippi National Guard for 27 years and currently serves in the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office. She sat down with Ray Coleman on the Mississippi Salute Podcast and shared her journey in the armed forces and why she continues serving the Veterans of the magnolia state ..read more