VA disability benefits can be difficult to understand, especially when veterans are trying to navigate claims, appeals, healthcare, and available support resources. This Monthly Veterans Benefits Hour brings together Dale Throneberry, Brig. Gen. Carol Ann Fausone (Ret.), and Rick Sherak to answer questions from callers and share practical guidance. The episode also highlights Zeen, a mobility device designed to help veterans and others with limited mobility stand, walk, and move more independently.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL DISCOVER
✓ How veterans can better understand the VA disability benefits process
✓ What to know when asking questions about claims, appeals, and available resources
✓ How mobility innovation is helping restore independence and dignity for wounded service members
✓ What it means to restore independence and dignity through mobility innovation
Rick Sherak
CEO - Zeen (Exokinetics)
Former U.S. Air Force officer and CEO of Exokinetics, the company behind Zeen, an innovative mobility device designed to help people stand, walk, and move independently. With more than 30 years of experience in the medical diagnostics and healthcare technology industries, Rick has built and led high-performing teams for both Fortune 500 companies and emerging healthcare innovators. Today, he is focused on expanding access to mobility solutiosn that improve quality of life for veterans and others facing physical challenges, bringing innovative technologies to underserved communities while advancing the future of rehabilitation and independent living. Rick was interviewed in 2025 by Military.com about their new mobility device.
Brig. Gen. Carol Ann Fausone (ret.)
Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC
Retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General and veterans advocate with Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC. During her 36-year military career, she served in leadership roles at both the state and national levels, including as Michigan’s Assistant Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs and as Assistant for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs for the Department of Defense. Today, she continues her mission of serving veterans and their families by helping them navigate the VA disability claims and appeals process, while also educating healthcare providers and veterans through her extensive writing, research, and advocacy work.
Dale Throneberry
Host - Veterans Radio
Founder, producer, and host of Veterans Radio, a nationally respected program sharing the stories and experiences of America’s veterans. Originally from the Jersey Shore in New Jersey, Dale served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War with the 195th Assault Helicopter Company from 1968 to 1969 before completing his military service as an instructor pilot at Fort Rucker, Alabama. After leaving the Army in 1971, he used the GI Bill to earn both his BA in Education and MA in Communication from the University of Michigan. Drawing from his military service, education, and lifelong commitment to veterans, Dale turned his longtime dream into reality by creating Veterans Radio, which has honored and amplified veterans’ voices for more than two decades. He currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his wife Jane and enjoys being close to his son, grandson, and extended family.
