Hazard Ground
356 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago - ★★★★★ - 585 ratingsServicemembers from across the military, sharing their accounts of combat and survival. Hosted by sports talk radio host and Army veteran, Mark Zinno, this podcast brings you firsthand accounts of war, with a perspective you only get from someone who has lived through it. From WWII to Vietnam, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hear inspirational stories of service and resiliency from those who have fought on and off the battlefield!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Ep. 206 - Tonya Oxendine (Command Sergeant Major/MVP)
February 16, 2021 07:00 - 1 hourFor Tonya Oxendine the Army offered an escape from a rough upbringing - a chance for a better life. Although not without extreme hardships and challenges, Tonya embraced the military, using the trauma she experienced in it and after, to become an incredible leader who has made it her life's mission to take care of others. She served over two decades - including several years in the 82nd Airborne - retiring as a Command Sergeant Major. Today she serves as the Atlanta Program Manager of Mergin...
Ep. 205 - David Smith (Navy Corpsman/CONTINUE TO SERVE)
February 09, 2021 07:00 - 1 hourOur conversation this week is simply about service - service in combat, and continued service when the uniform comes off. David Smith is a former Navy Corpsman who served in combat in Afghanistan. When an aspiring career in the Navy was cut short, David found another way to serve his country. Ultimately he started an organization called, CONTINUE TO SERVE. Through this organization, he brings together other veterans in continued service to the Nation, particularly when it comes to civic dutie...
Ep. 204 - Grant Broggi (Marine/The Strength Co.)
February 02, 2021 07:00 - 1 hourGrant Broggi didn't take the typical route to the Marine Corps. The extra time he took before ultimately joining meant he entered the Marines with life experience - a key attribute in forming who he would become as a leader of Marines. And the experience he gained from leading Marines in combat would eventually pay dividends when he became a strength coach, preparing Marines for combat as well as forming a small business. That small business would take a punishing hit during the onset of the ...
Ep. 203 - Rod Lurie (From West Point to Filmmaker/"The Outpost")
January 26, 2021 07:00 - 1 hourWhen Rod Lurie immigrated to the United States at a young age, he was taken by what he saw when he visited The United States Military Academy at West Point for the first time. Beyond the institution, he knew attending West Point would provide a means to pay back the country that welcomed him from abroad. Whether his decision to ultimately go to West Point was right or wrong, Lurie has found that his attendance and graduation from there prepared him very well for the profession he knew he alwa...
Ep. 202 - Ryan Hendrickson (Green Beret)
January 19, 2021 07:00 - 2 hoursRyan Hendrickson doesn't know when to quit. If you've served alongside Ryan in combat, that's probably a good thing. Ryan Hendrickson is a retired Green Beret, leaving the Army as an E-7 in January of 2020. Before joining the Army, Hendrickson enlisted and served in both the Navy and the Air Force, until he found his true calling in Special Forces. As a Green Beret demolitions expert, he would find a passion hunting IEDs and working with local villagers. In the high risk confines of Afghanist...
Ep. 201 - Donat Le Blanc (Marine/Vietnam)
January 12, 2021 07:00 - 1 hourDonat "Dan" Le Blanc lost his right arm while fighting in Vietnam as a Marine aircraft machine gunner. Service was in his blood; his father was a World War II veteran and POW. So when it was his generation's calling to combat service, Le Blanc joined the Marines. He cites the 1957 film, "The DI" with Jack Webb as a major source of inspiration for joining the Corps. But, Le Blanc's time in Vietnam would end not long after he sustained life-threatening injuries when the helicopter he was mannin...
Ep. 200 - Daniel Rodriguez (COP Keating/Battle of Kamdesh)
January 05, 2021 07:00 - 2 hoursThere's no better story for Episode 200! Daniel Rodriguez entered the Army shortly after losing his father at the age of 18. He joined the Infantry and was almost immediately thrust into one of the worst positions to be in as a new soldier in combat: the replacement for another soldier who had been killed in Iraq. Although it was a rough start, the unit he ended up with would ultimately be the group of guys he not only bonded with, but would also go through one of the bloodiest battles of the...
Ep. 199 - Justin Piessens (Army Tanker)
December 22, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourThe junior enlisted servicemembers we've had on this show have never shied away from giving the unvarnished truth when talking about their experiences in combat. They join for a myriad of reasons - a sense of patriotism, a career, or they just didn't think they had better options when entering the workforce. Regardless, you can always count on them to shoot straight when asked for their opinions, especially when it comes to life in combat. Justin Piessens enlisted in the Army after high schoo...
Ep. 198 - Dr. Jeff Cain (From Army Ranger to Army Doc)
December 15, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourDr. Jeff Cain has led an interesting military career to say the least, as both an Infantryman and a doctor, spanning from the period of the first Gulf War into the Global War on Terrorism. Dr. Cain began his career at West Point, choosing Infantry as his branch upon graduation. Following time with the Berlin Brigade in Germany during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Cain made his way to 3rd Ranger Battalion where he would serve - along with time at Regimental Headquarters - until he made ...
Ep. 197 - Tom Spooner (Army SOF/Warriors Heart)
December 08, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourWhen Tom Spooner enlisted in the Army, he had every intention of becoming a Ranger. But, a last minute change in orders would send him to the 82nd Airborne, where he quickly found, Ranger or not, that he was in his element as a paratrooper. From then on, wherever Spooner went in the military he would find his element along with seasoned veterans who mentored him into a proven combat leader and special operator. Aside from serving in the 82nd, Spooner went on to earn his Green Beret and serve ...
Ep. 196 - Gordon Sumner (Army Aviator/Grenada)
December 01, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourGordon Sumner joined the military at the end of the Vietnam War era. As such, the timing of his entry into service led to very unique experiences while serving overseas, both in combat, and during the tense years of the Cold War. He began his military career as an Infantry officer, but through a weird twist of fate, would transition to Aviation before nearly resigning his commission. That move to Aviation would set Sumner on a trajectory to Grenada, where he commanded an Air Cavalry unit with...
Ep. 195 - Jeff Morris (Army Infantry/"Legion Rising")
November 24, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourThis is a story of combat and survival in the truest sense. Survival not just from bullets and bombs in Baghdad, but from the indelible scars war leaves on those who’ve experienced it firsthand. Jeff Morris is one of those individuals. His time as an Army infantry officer led him to fight in Iraq both as a platoon leader and company commander. It would carry him through bloody firefights where he would lead soldiers, all trying to survive, and achieve the “little victories” that make long, dr...
Ep. 194 - Don Culp (Army Aviator)
November 17, 2020 07:00 - 57 minutesDon Culp's passion for aviation began as a young boy. Watching his stepfather work with the Navy's Blue Angels demonstration team, Don knew he wanted to join the military, and specifically go into aviation when he graduated from high school. His journey would take him a little longer than expected though, as he was initially recruited into chemical operations instead of aviation in the late 90's. It would take him roughly a decade and five attempts to transfer out of his Chemical specialty an...
Ep. 193 - Michael Waltz (Green Beret)
November 10, 2020 07:00 - 24.7 MBFrom an early age, Michael Waltz was drawn to history, devouring every history book he could get his hands on at the local library. Raised by a single mother, who worked her way up the corporate ladder from clerk to executive vice president for Prudential Securities, Waltz had plenty of inspiration to draw from. That, coupled with his deep knowledge of history, led him to want to serve his country, where the path his mother took was possible. He ended up graduating from the Virginia Military...
Ep. 192 - Mike Jason (Army Combat Vet/Leader)
November 03, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourService over self. Character over affiliation. Values over personal gain. Mike Jason learned these tenets at an early age in a place far away from the United States. Born to two American expats in Italy, as a child Mike would often hear the locals talk about what the Americans did for them during World War II. His patriotism and love for the American military was born out of these conversations. So when Mike was 11 and his family moved back to the United States, he knew he wanted to join the ...
Ep. 191 - Stoney Portis (COP Keating/Battle of Kamdesh)
October 27, 2020 05:00 - 2 hoursIn Episode 188, Andrew Bundermann walked us through the Battle of Kamdesh - the attack on remote COP Keating in Afghanistan, where 53 U.S. cavalry scouts held off over 300 Taliban fighters attacking from the mountains above. Bundermann was the acting commander at COP Keating on the day of the attack. His company commander, now LTC Stoney Portis, was stranded at a nearby base because the helicopter he was flying in had taken enemy fire two days prior, and air assets were unable to get him back...
Ep. 190 - Gary Garza (Green Beret/Special Forces Foundation)
October 20, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourAn infantryman, looking for the next challenge in his military career, Gary Garza decided to try out for Special Forces Selection. After completing Ranger and Sniper Schools with the 101st Airborne, it only made sense that the next step was getting his Green Beret and embarking on a long career in Special Operations. That's exactly what Garza did, becoming a Special Forces Medical Sergeant, and completing 12 deployments in the Global War on Terror. Those deployments came with a price, but als...
Ep. 189 - Donny O'Malley (Marine/VET Tv)
October 13, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourDonny O'Malley does not fit the typical mold of a U.S. Marine. Except for the part where Marines strive to be the absolute best at one thing: killing the enemy. In spite of being the type of person who never liked having a boss, and who was very entrepreneurial in nature, Donny O'Malley wanted to join the military and become a Marine, primarily so he could be the best at taking out bad people on the battlefield. And, after 9/11, that was all the motivation he needed for pulling the trigger, s...
Ep. 188 - Andrew Bundermann (COP Keating/Battle of Kamdesh)
October 06, 2020 05:00 - 2 hoursOn the morning of October 3rd, 2009, American Combat Outpost Keating was attacked by over 300 Taliban fighters, the small outpost defended by just 53 U.S. cavalry scouts. The location of COP Keating couldn't have been any worse from a tactical standpoint, inviting the inevitable before American forces would shut it down: an overwhelming attack by insurgent fighters. The small outpost sat along the banks of a river at the base of the mountains, deep within Afghanistan’s rugged Nuristan provinc...
Ep. 187 - Mike Mednansky (EOD)
September 29, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourFollowing a fairly short stint and multiple deployments with the Navy not long after 9/11, Mike Mednansky felt a calling to a military occupation much more technical, and challenging than the one he had in the Navy. He decided to go out for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) school - one of the most dangerous, but most rewarding jobs in the military. EOD technicians are some of the most highly trained, highly focused, technically surgical servicemembers on the battlefield. It takes nerves of s...
Ep. 186 - Chili Palmer (Army SOF)
September 22, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourChili Palmer's military career started off with a bang...or rather, a combat jump into Panama. Less than two weeks after arriving at 1/75 Ranger Battalion, Chili jumped into combat for Operation Just Cause. It was just his ninth static line jump, and although the action on the ground was minimal for Palmer, he would go on to participate in and experience a heavy amount of kinetic operations throughout the rest of his over two-decade long career in the Army, serving much of that time as an ope...
Ep. 185 - Elana Duffy (Army Combat Vet)
September 15, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourFor 14 years Elana Duffy lived with chronic physical and mental pain, the result of injuries sustained from an IED blast and vehicle collision during one of her deployments to Iraq, two years into the war. During that time she had struggled with figuring out exactly what was wrong, and healing enough to continue on with a promising Army career, injury-free. Elana Duffy enlisted in the Army with an Ivy League Masters education and a desire to perform a job where she would see tangible results....
Ep. 184 - Aaron Love (Air Force PJ)
September 08, 2020 04:00 - 1 hourAaron Love joined the Air Force shortly after 9/11 to become a Pararescueman, or “PJ” as they are more commonly known. PJs are expert combat medical professionals capable of providing life-saving measures in hostile areas, as part of the Air Force's special operations force. A few missteps along the way though, nearly derailed Aaron’s pursuit of becoming a PJ. But Aaron’s desire to succeed in one the military’s most difficult training and qualification pipelines, ultimately led him to earning...
Ep. 183 - Shane Hudella (Desert Storm/United Heroes League)
September 01, 2020 04:00 - 55 minutesToday we go back to the first Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm! Shane Hudella joined the military to carry on a family tradition of serving. Not long after signing up, he was headed for his first and only major combat deployment in Desert Storm, where life became quite interesting with the constant threat of SCUD missiles targeting and raining down close to his unit's location. Following Desert Storm, Hudella would go on to serve in the Army until 2012, when he retired as a First Sergeant....
Ep. 182 - Chris VanSant (Army SOF)
August 25, 2020 04:00 - 1 hourChris VanSant had an impressive career in the Army. He retired with twenty-plus years as a Special Operations veteran, operating at the highest level in a special mission unit for a good portion of that time. He took part in eleven combat deployments as both a team member and team leader in 1st SFOD-D, deploying to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa. During that time he took part in 500-plus combat operations. One of those operations was the capture of Saddam Hussein. But, all that tim...
Ep. 181 - Tim Stolinski (Army Combat Vet)
August 18, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourIt’s often said on this podcast that war and combat change you forever, no matter your level of exposure. Tim Stolinski is living proof of that. Deployed to Iraq to train and advise Iraqi Border Police as part of a Military Transition Team (MiTT) in 2009, Stolinski was integrated into a society and fledgling military reeling from an insurgency and a leadership void, the genesis of which extended back decades. Due in part to the day-to-day effort to remain amongst the living, Stolinski’s exper...
Ep. 180 - Brad Snyder (Navy EOD/Paralympian)
August 11, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourWhen Brad Snyder talks about his experiences at the U.S. Naval Academy you can sense his appreciation for how the Academy builds strong leaders - men and women of character, integrity, fortitude, and optimism. Brad Snyder graduated from the Naval Academy in 2006. He would deploy as a Navy EOD officer for the first time in 2008. Five years later, he would be medically retired from the Navy, permanently blinded by an IED blast in Afghanistan. The bomb that took his eyesight would not destroy th...
Ep. 179 - Dan Luna (Navy SEAL)
August 04, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourDan Luna is using his experience as a Navy SEAL to do something revolutionary, that for a species that has enacted violence on itself in times of war, for centuries, probably shouldn't be. That "something" is preparing American servicemembers for the shock that war is on the human brain. He's helping servicemembers get ahead of Post Traumatic Stress by working to minimize its effects from the front end, rather than saving all of the treatment for after servicemembers come home from war. And L...
Ep. 178 - Diane Evans (Vietnam Combat Nurse)
July 28, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourWe don’t often hear the stories of women who served in Vietnam, especially those who deployed directly to combat zones. Diane Evans is one of those women who had the opportunity to serve as a nurse in combat in Vietnam in areas where humanity seemed only a ragged shred of existence. She joined the military in the late 1960’s with the intent to go to Vietnam. Like her brothers and other young men she knew in her rural Minnesota town, she felt a sense of duty and calling to serve her country in...
Ep. 177 - Jack Murphy (Ranger/Green Beret/Journalist)
July 21, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourFrom an early age, Jack Murphy wanted to join the military - he wanted to be close to the action, to experience war. 9/11 happened during his senior year in high school, so as soon as he graduated he enlisted to become an Army Ranger. As a Ranger he served as an anti-tank gunner, sniper, and team leader with 3rd Ranger Battalion. A friendly fire incident nearly derailed his military and special operations career, though. Luckily for Jack, he was able to continue serving in Special Operations....
Ep. 176 - Joe Galloway Returns! (Military Correspondent)
July 14, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourLegendary journalist, Joe Galloway, joins us again on the podcast! Joe has covered just about every major conflict involving the U.S. military from the Global War on Terror all the way back to Vietnam, where he made a name for himself and was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for rescuing wounded soldiers under fire at Ia Drang, becoming the only civilian to receive a combat medal from the Army during the Vietnam War. More importantly, Joe has embedded himself in military conflict to en...
Ep. 175 - Eric Donoho (Army Infantry)
July 07, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourHis military career had an almost idyllic start. Following in his father's footsteps, he signed up for the Infantry, and set out to do his part in the fight against terrorism and protect not just Americans, but also the continually oppressed. He even ended up sitting next to his future wife on the long flight from Infantry School to his first duty station in Alaska. But Eric Donoho's time as an Infantryman would take a dark turn, literally the moment he stepped off the plane for a 14-month de...
Ep. 174 - Fred Wellman (Army Scout Pilot)
June 30, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourFred Wellman has experienced some pretty significant highs in his military career. He was commissioned in Aviation out of West Point; flew Scout missions in Desert Storm; studied at Harvard; learned to fly Black Hawks so he could return to active duty to serve in combat in the Global War on Terror; as well as served as the spokesman for Generals David Petraeus and Martin Dempsey. But with those highs came unimaginable lows. From personal tragedy to combat loss, to fractured relationships from...
Ep. 173 - James Stejskal (Green Beret/Det "A")
June 23, 2020 05:00 - 58 minutesGreen Beret James Stejskal holds the distinction of serving in one of the Army's most unique and at one time, highly classified Special Forces Detachments operating in East Germany during the Cold War. Known simply as Detachment "A", the unit operated behind the Iron Curtain within the Soviet-controlled German Democratic Republic. The unit's primary mission was to wreak havoc behind the enemy's lines, and buy outnumbered NATO forces time to breakout from Berlin if hostilities commenced betwee...
Ep. 172 - Rocky Bleier (Vietnam/Pittsburgh Steelers)
June 16, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourFollowing a promising college football career at Notre Dame, Rocky Bleier was on his way to starting a pro career in the NFL. It was 1968, and Bleier, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, was nearing the end of his first NFL season when he received another draft notice. This time it was from the Army, and it was for a report date the morning after a Steelers game Bleier was suited up for. It was the height of the war in Vietnam, and Bleier's number was called, budding NFL career or not...
Ep. 171 - Rob Jones (Marine/Paralympian)
June 09, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourSearching for a higher purpose, and a sense of selflessness and brotherhood, Rob Jones enlisted in the Marine Corps at 20, while still attending college at Virginia Tech. His sense of purpose and the warrior mentality that the Corps gave him were put to the test after he sustained devastating injuries on July 22, 2010 in Afghanistan. While sweeping a field for suspected IEDs, Jones stepped on a land mine. The blast would leave him a double amputee. What most people see as insurmountable, Rob ...
Ep. 170 - Matt Klein (Army Infantry/"Battle Tribe")
June 02, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourMatt Klein grew up with vivid stories of his grandfather flying dive bomb missions in World War II. His grandfather had signed up shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Much like his grandfather, Klein joined the military shortly after 9/11. He signed up to serve in the Infantry - a job that would provide more than its fair share of hairy moments through two combat deployments to Iraq as the insurgency there gained steam. A chance opportunity to take the NYPD entrance test eventually led t...
Ep. 169 - Gary Wetzel (Vietnam/Medal of Honor)
May 26, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourIt's safe to say that fate has been on Gary Wetzel's side since the day he stepped foot in Vietnam. He survived 5 helicopter crashes; he's a living recipient of the Medal of Honor from his time there; he was shot, stabbed, and blown up on the battlefield; and he's come full circle in meeting those who treated him after his 5th helicopter crash, decades later. That 5th crash and subsequent firefight that earned him the Medal of Honor came on January 8, 1968. Wetzel's arm was nearly blown off i...
Ep. 168 - Justin Lascek (Green Beret)
May 19, 2020 05:00 - 2 hoursStrap in folks, because in this episode we go deep into the life and survival of Justin Lascek. Justin is a Green Beret Medic, who was blown up a little over a year ago while fighting in Afghanistan. The blast ended up taking both of his legs, and a couple of other vital parts which you’ll hear about in the episode. What the blast didn’t take was Justin’s indomitable warrior spirit, which is undeniable when you hear him tell his story. Ultimately, his strength, cultivated well before he enlis...
Ep. 167 - Joe Chenelly (Marine/AMVETS)
May 12, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourJoe Chenelly’s path to the Marine Corps started from a very unlikely place. As he describes it, his parents were hippies. And after initially finding college to be something he didn't necessarily have an affinity for, Chenelly enlisted in the Marines. Joining not long before 9/11, Chenelly would eventually end up at the forefront of America’s war on terror as a combat journalist. In fact, Chenelly was the first Marine combat correspondent to step foot into enemy territory after 9/11. He was a...
Ep. 166 - Vincent Vargas (Army Ranger/Actor)
May 05, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourVincent "Rocco" Vargas thought his life would be baseball. He was on the path to take a stab at the majors, but academic ineligibility while playing college ball pushed him in a different direction. Inspired by military service and seeking a way to provide a stable means of supporting his first child, Vargas enlisted in the Army in 2003. He knew he wanted the most challenging job possible in the military, and ultimately settled on becoming an Army Ranger. After 3 deployments with the 75th Ran...
Ep. 165 - Amber Smith (Kiowa Pilot/Combat Vet)
April 28, 2020 05:00 - 34.6 MBAmber Smith grew up around aviation. It was in her blood - her father and grandfather were pilots, and it wasn't uncommon for aviation to be the center of nightly conversation around the dinner table. But, Amber didn't immediately follow the path to becoming an aviator. It wasn't until after heading off to college and then 9/11, which she says made her re-prioritize her life, that she decided to join the military to fly in combat. She would go on to become an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter ...
Ep. 164 - Will Bardenwerper Returns! (Writer/Army Infantry)
April 21, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourWill Bardenwerper returns to the show, and goes back to Ranger School. Will graduated the Army's grueling combat leadership school in 2004, but returned recently to write a piece for Outside Magazine on Ranger class 05-19. Bardenwerper admits he's more often jolted from a deep sleep by a dream about Ranger School than he is by anything related to his own experiences in combat. Going back to chronicle class 05-19 may have actually changed that, but if anything, it gives outsiders a look into o...
Ep. 163 - Special Guest: Marc Fucarile (Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor)
April 14, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourThis week we're featuring another Special Guest, whose story is characterized by resilience as well as connected to recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. On April 15, 2013, Marc Fucarile was severely injured by the second of two bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon. He was attending the race as a spectator, watching a friend of his run, and was standing just a few feet away from the second bomb when it detonated. Fucarile lost his right leg above the knee in the blast, nearl...
Ep. 162 - Tom Kerr (Green Beret)
April 07, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourA measured decision led Tom Kerr to pursue the Green Beret after 4 years in the Infantry. He wanted to do more in combat, serve with the elite, and know that what he was doing every time he deployed to a combat theater was not only challenging, but tangible. Following more deployments as a Green Beret, a back injury nearly sent Kerr out of the military and a job he loved more than anything. But, he found purpose in a new position working to modernize and innovate combat gear and systems for S...
Ep. 161 - Dr. Bob Adams (Navy SEAL to MD)
March 31, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourDr. Bob Adams is fifth generation career military, dating all the way back to the Civil War. His military career spans 30 years, and began at the U.S. Naval Academy. Following graduation, Dr. Adams served a few years in the Navy before pursuing his dream to become a Navy SEAL. He would serve 12 years as a SEAL before embarking on a career shift, enrolling in medical school, and becoming a doctor - specifically an Army doctor. From there he would go on to fill such prestigious positions as the...
Ep. 160 - Mike Maroney (Air Force PJ)
March 24, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourHe is credited with making roughly 5,325 rescues during his 20 year career in the Air Force. That's an average of approximately 5 rescues each week for 20 years straight! Mike Maroney joined the Air Force to become a PJ. He says he joined the military to earn his keep for living in a free country. And when you look at what he's done during his military career, it's clear he's done more than earn his keep. He's saved the lives of not only American servicemembers, but also those of Coalition Fo...
Ep. 159 - Jeremy Staat (From NFL to Marine Corps)
March 17, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourWhen Jeremy Staat was drafted out of Arizona State by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1998 NFL draft, it looked as if his life for the foreseeable future would be based solely around pro football. He was a standout player, but after four seasons in the NFL Staat decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and serve in the military. Staat enlisted in the Marine Corps, and served from 2005 to 2009, deploying to Haditha, Iraq as an infantry Marine. In this episode, Jeremy tal...
Ep. 158 - Nick Lavery (Green Beret)
March 10, 2020 05:00 - 1 hourIf you're looking for motivation, or simply inspiration to never, ever quit, then you should listen to this episode with Green Beret, Nick Lavery. Nick enlisted in the Army to become a Green Beret after he graduated college in 2007. Since earning his Special Forces tab, Lavery took shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade to his shoulder, leaving a sizable wound; he was shot in the face; and ultimately lost part of his right leg from machine gun fire, all in three separate encounters with the...
Ep. 157 - Thomas Gibbons-Neff (Marine/Journalist)
March 03, 2020 07:00 - 56 minutesFollowing in the footsteps of his father and both grandfathers, Thomas Gibbons-Neff joined the military at the end of his senior year in high school. He enlisted in the Marine Corps. Like many of his contemporaries, he just wanted to get in the fight. He was in 8th grade when 9/11 happened. So any doubt that he would follow his family into the military, and eventually war, vanished when his country was attacked. But war would bring a new revelation for Thomas and his fellow Marines: that life...