After serving in the U.S. Navy in Afghanistan, Susan experienced sudden hearing loss. She felt depressed and vulnerable until she went to group therapy and realized she wasn’t alone. She also found a new purpose doing stand-up comedy. Watch Susan share how she finds resilience in making others laugh. Follow Make the Connection for more Veteran stories. MakeTheConnection.net/stories/866 | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

A Veteran’s first experience out of the military shapes everything, including how they see the VA. If that transition is chaotic, unsupported, or dehumanizing, their trust in the system collapses before it even begins. And as Secretary of the VA Doug Collins reminds us, we have a duty to make sure that never happens. The goal isn’t just to care for Veterans after servie, it’s to return them to society as stronger, healthier, more capable versions of themselves. Fran Racioppi sat down with Secret