{"id":7699,"date":"2025-12-25T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7699"},"modified":"2025-12-25T19:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T19:30:00","slug":"a-different-type-of-service-in-a-new-uniform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7699","title":{"rendered":"A different type of service in a new uniform\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-12-25T19:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

A leader through it all<\/h2>\n

Veteran Manuel Calo Jr.\u2019s presence brings calmness to others. It\u2019s his experience through the extremes of military life, personal loss and recovery that allows him to connect with others so thoughtfully.<\/p>\n

Time after time, he has chosen to turn his hardships into lessons for himself and other Veterans still searching for their footing after service.<\/p>\n

Born in Puerto Rico\u00a0and raised in the Bronx, New York, Calo joined the Army in 1975, beginning a remarkable 25-year journey of leadership, service and transformation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the course of his military career, he became a ranger and rose from squad leader to battalion command sergeant major, serving in missions such as Urgent Fury (Grenada, 1983), Just Cause (Panama, 1989), Desert Storm (Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, 1990), and multiple humanitarian and counter-drug operations across Latin America.<\/p>\n

Throughout it all, he carried one principle that still defines him: \u201cMission first, people always.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking care of my soldiers was non-negotiable,\u201d he shared. \u201cTheir welfare was my mission.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

That same ethos guides his work now as a Certified Peer Specialist for the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, Mental Health Clinic, and Domiciliary at the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Domiciliary is designed to provide state-of-the-art, high-quality rehabilitation and treatment services for Veterans with identified substance use disorders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like many Veterans transitioning to civilian life, Calo faced uncertainty and frustration. His civilian career began as a dispatcher, safety manager and warehouse supervisor before finding his way to VA in 2010 as a medical support assistant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always remembered an experience I had years ago when I was seeking assistant and I was brushed off. I told myself that if I ever had the chance, I\u2019d do the opposite, I\u2019d help\u00a0Veterans, not turn them away,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

That promise became his priority. Fast forward to 2015, Calo became a Florida state certified peer specialist, driven by his conviction that Veterans need someone who truly understands the journey; someone who once lived the struggle, fought their inner battles, and ultimately came out on the stronger side.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany Veterans come in believing we do not have a voice,\u201d he shared. \u201cWe believe the providers make all final decisions, and we just must accept it. I tell them, that is not true. VA doctors work for us, and we must learn to advocate for ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

That message of empowerment became his signature. He often provides Veterans with rides to appointments, ensures warm hand-offs to Veterans Service Officers, and gives challenge coins\u00a0to each Veteran who completes a recovery program.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coin is not just a token, it is a symbol that stands for \u2018I did it,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Building a community of support<\/h2>\n

Calo\u2019s efforts go beyond the walls of the clinic. He assists with the clothing closet\u00a0at the Domiciliary, ensuring Veterans in need have access to essentials like shoes and clothes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He goes beyond giving the literal shirt off his back. He is also known for taking Veterans on community outings, not for leisure, but for reintegration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not just a picnic,\u201d Calo said with a smile. \u201cIt\u2019s about showing them that they can go out, have fun and live without drugs or alcohol. It\u2019s about rediscovering joy and belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind every action is a belief in resilience through community. Calo knows firsthand that the path to recovery often begins with trust and it is earned through consistency, compassion and presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a Veteran is skeptical, I tell them to follow me, and I show them what to do to improve their lives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For Calo, service never ended, he simply changed uniforms. His motto, carried from his Army Ranger days, remains unchanged: \u201cCan Do.\u201d\u00a0When someone says something is impossible, he asks, \u201cDid you try?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Domiciliary Care Program is VA\u2019s oldest health care program. Established through legislation passed in the late 1860\u2019s, the purpose was to provide a home for Civil War volunteer soldiers with disabilities. The Domiciliary has evolved from a \u201cSoldiers\u2019 Home\u201d to an active clinical rehabilitation and treatment program for Veterans. The Domiciliary programs are also now integrated with the\u00a0Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Programs. Learn more about the Domiciliary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

This article was originally published on the VA West Palm Beach Healthcare System site <\/a>\u00a0and has been edited for style and clarity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veteran Manuel Calo, Jr. won the 2025 Peer Specialist of the Year for the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System for his exceptional service to Veterans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nA different type of service in a new uniform\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Veteran Manuel Calo, Jr. won the 2025 Peer Specialist of the Year for the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System for his exceptional service to Veterans.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7699\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A different type of service in a new uniform\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 - 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