Outpost 422 Clarion Broadcast Mission
By Bradley J. Burt
General Manager of Broadcast
Outpost 422 supports the Department of Veteran Affairs of Wisconsin Zero Veteran Suicide Initiative. We are advocating for veterans in crisis to receive urgent care.
As we approach the fall 2019 semester, I am cordially inviting all who are able to join the Wolfpack Clarion community as a collective body tackle the obstacle of ending the 22 Veteran Suicide per Day statistic. We will no longer stand by idle, we will face the challenge by supporting the launch of Outpost 422. What is Outpost 422? We are an ad hoc broadcast regarding Student Senate meeting topics that features Wolfpack veterans on our talk show. As the Broadcast General Manager for the Clarion, our talk show and staff are pleased to announce our Outpost 422 QRF Clarion mission is to raise funds to end veteran suicide. Outpost 422 was created this summer through “Launch Your Business,” which was a gift offered to students who entered the Madison College Challenge.
Our VA Farms for VA VITAL prototype, “The 422nd Rescue and Recovery Brigade,” was a semi-finalist for the Madison College Challenge, which supports Capitol Law Enforcement with our current homeless veteran situation. We also assist with intake at the Tellurian Detox Facility. We are capturing the lens of the veteran in crisis and sharing how we as a community can help as a nonprofit medium through our 501 c 3 organization created in the Business Plan Certificate Program.
The Madison College Challenge rewards the winner with a $5,000 grand prize to launch your business. We are launching our prototype as an internship for veterans who enter through the Veterans Integration Transitional Academic Leadrship Program available at our Truax Campus. VITAL offers homecoming strategies to help veterans who are Wolfpack students and want to leave behind a fully developed veteran entrepreneurship opportunity through the Madison College Journalism Certificate Program. We are an event and fundraising organization to assist the VA VITAL program at Madison College.
Outpost 422 is more than an entrepreneurship program competing for cash—we are an open invitation to everybody to bring the 22 Veteran Per Day suicide statistic to zero. We are raising funds to place an Outpost 422 Boulder at each campus and at Peace Park on the 400 block of State Street, which is also being placed throughout reservations as well. We want to recognize the Department of Veterans Affairs of Wisconsin Zero Veteran Suicide Initiative and will be the first broadcast to develop veteran internships on VA farms through UW Madison.
What can you expect from the Clarion this year? Solidarity against gun violence through veteran suicide awareness. We are asking all veterans in our school to take the Outpost 422 pledge by acting as ushers, who are the guardians of the student body. We swear allegiance to Student Senate by keeping an eye as ad hoc reporters.
Our main mission as veterans should be to keep our community safe and look out for our own. Being both a UW Liberal Arts Transfer at Madison College and the pilot for UW Whitewater undergraduate research, the efforts of Outpost 422 will seek opportunities to develop veterans who will be the future Wolfpack Quick Reactionary Force, who serve internships through the Outpost 422 Practicum Ad Hoc Reporting Program. The Madison College Op-ed Mission to end veteran suicide started in Intro to Mass Communication and has led to pursuing the Journalism Certificate Program. Outpost 422 teaches our newly transitioning veterans academic tips and tricks to succeeding while enrolled at Madison College.
We will be working with Student Senate, the Clarion Staff, Veterans Resources Coordinator Allan Locia, UW Whitewater Richard Harris, UW Madison Joe Rasmussen, American Legion Post 501 Executive Committee, and the Madison Common Council to establish Outpost 422 as a veteran watchdog mission to watch over our Capitol and UW Madison Campus as ad hoc reporters.
We will be working with community programs like Tellurian Detox Facility, VA Farms, Dryhootch, and the Madison College Veterans Lounge to round up as many veteran voices as we are allowed to share the great news about great community services that will assist any veteran who is in crisis find opportunity.
Our main push is to raise funds annually that will provide veterans in crisis with vouchers for tablets to utilize PTSD Coach App before they check in to the VA. As an over watch outreach mission, our combined efforts will provide cover fire through wifi devices whenever the vet in crisis needs to reach out to the Veterans Crisis Line at our safe garden of Peace Park. Free wifi at Peace Park assists struggling vets who are seeking support during a situation that may be life threatening.
The 22 Solution: By offering free wifi at Peace Park, we offer alternative options, by providing access strategies that divert the veteran immediately. Outpost 422 will also be broadcasting the Student Senate recap from our meetings on Thursdays at 4:30pm. We will be seeking to bring this internship to veteran conventions to narrate how to assist us when we reach out for help.
Being survivor of the Veterans Crisis Line brought me to school. Outpost 422 message is clear—“if I can than so can you.” If you are struggling, pick up the phone and dial 1-800-272-8255 Press 1. I was once there too. Outpost 422 will help you navigate another day to see your situation through.