A six-hour phone call changed everything. When a veteran in crisis found someone willing to listen through the night, a simple truth emerged: human connection can save lives. That moment sparked Objective Zero, a peer support network and free app that connects veterans, service members, families, and caregivers with trained volunteers in minutes—no stigma, no red tape, just fast, compassionate help from people who understand your world.

We speak with Executive Director and Co-Founder Betsy Mercado about how Objective Zero blends purpose with smart design. You’ll hear how users can instantly reach a Pathfinder or filter by branch, role, deployments, location, age, and more to find a fast “shortcut of trust.” For those not ready to talk, the app offers suicide and opioid screenings, a mood journal, and energy and symptom tracking—tools that meet you upstream, before crisis builds. Betsy also delves into volunteer onboarding, which includes 20+ hours of training in partnership with Strongstar and PsychArmor, as well as the global time zone coverage that makes the network truly 24/7.

We explore funding and sustainability—from an early Kickstarter to grants and recurring donors—plus a strong partnership with the VA’s Office of Suicide Prevention that helps more veterans enroll in the benefits they’ve earned. Betsy explains how Objective Zero protects privacy, shares anonymized insights responsibly, and invites ethical research to strengthen the field. And while AI supports sentiment analysis and product improvements behind the scenes, the mission remains human-first: technology should amplify empathy, not replace it.

If you care about veteran wellness, including struggles with sleep and insomnia, financial stress, and transition support, as well as evidence-based prevention, this conversation offers concrete steps and real hope. Download the Objective Zero app, share the link with someone you served with, and consider making a donation to help keep the network strong. Subscribe, leave a review, and help us spread the word so more people find support before a crisis hits.