Re-Centering the Force: Implementing the VALOR Program to Build Character-Driven Soldiers l BLx Ep. 012

In this episode of Backbone Leader Exchange, SGT Cashe and SSG Jones unpack a powerful white paper written by Major Borchardt, LCSW, an Army Behavioral Health Officer whose work is reshaping the conversation on leadership, identity, and suicide prevention in the force. We explore the VALOR Program, Values Added Leadership Origins Revitalized, a transformative leadership initiative designed to help Soldiers and leaders reconnect with their personal values, develop emotional resilience, and lead with purpose. This isn’t just another training block. It’s a call to re-center the force. The program blends warrior tradition, psychology, and Army values into a scalable model that could be implemented across formations, from PME environments to battalion-level resets. Most importantly, it offers a path forward in the fight against suicide, not through policy, but through authentic connection, reflection, and growth. Because of you, our Army is better. Now go lead with VALOR.