Operation Encore: Soldiers, Stories, and Songs
42 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsListen to veteran and active-duty members of the armed forces highlight their original music and tell stories of their service, as they work to spread their message and their music, to new fans.Operation Encore is a non-profit veterans organization that provides opportunities for veteran and active duty singer-songwriters and musicians to take their music to the next level through artist development, professional recording, and industry-focused educational services. We seek out talent from across veteran communities to produce and highlight their original music, showcase their talents and advance their careers. Our podcast features powerful stories and original songs from our artists and artists across the veteran community.
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Episodes
Episode #34: Mike “Doc Straw” Swart
March 07, 2024 01:00 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBIn this episode of “Soldiers, Stories & Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) spend time with Army combat engineer Mike “Doc Straw” Swart. Mike served from 2004-2013 and deployed twice to the Middle East, first near Fallujah in Iraq and later to Asadabad in the Kunar Province in Afghanistan, conducting road clearance for IEDs and other explosives. Following Mike’s separation from the Army, he went back to school and became a doctor of physical therapy focusing on how the body and brain cha...
Episode #33: Army Pilot and Military Spouse Kate and Secily Anderson (Winter Grain)
November 02, 2023 12:00 - 56 minutes - 77.7 MBIn this episode of “Soldiers, Stories & Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) spend time with retired Army helicopter pilot Kate Anderson and military spouse Secily Anderson. Together, they blend compelling lyrics, smooth harmonies and tasty guitar leads as a duet called “Winter Grain”. Learn about how Kate grew up around the Reno Rodeo, almost became a nun, then pivoted to 22 years of service in the Army, and how Secily grew up with music since she was 8 years old and has played in bands...
Episode #32: Army Green Beret Derek Stoner
October 15, 2023 00:00 - 48 minutes - 66.1 MBIn this episode of “Soldiers, Stories and Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) spend time with retired Army veteran and Green Beret Derek Stoner. After spending a childhood hunting, fishing and working as a farm laborer in small town Craig, Missouri (population 200), Derek joined the National Guard while still in High School and served in the Army after September 11th. Derek spent 20 years serving his country as an elite Green Beret, with over 16 deployments to the Middle East, including...
Episode #31: Army Veteran Stephen Wayne
June 29, 2023 22:00 - 59 minutes - 81.8 MBIn this episode of “Soldiers, Stories and Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) spend some time with Stephen Wayne talking about his humble roots in rural Arkansas and his year long “adventure” at age 14, sneaking on Greyhound buses, living on the streets and playing his old Fender Squire guitar. Yes-Age 14! Of course, he later met an Army recruiter and signed up as a mechanic a few months before 9/11. He retired 21 years later, after a total of 5 years of deployments to Iraq and Afghani...
Episode #30: Navy and Marine Corp Veteran Mike Ponder
April 19, 2023 00:00 - 48 minutes - 66.8 MBIn this episode of "Soldiers, Stories, and Songs", Guy [Jaquier] and Adam [Rossi] catch up with Operation Encore artist Mike Ponder, a veteran of both the Navy and Marine Corps. Mike was introduced to music at an early age: He started touring at age three and was playing drums at age 6 on stage with his parents and their band "JL and the Country Squires". Mike deployed in support of the Gulf War in 1991, Kosovo in 1999, and Iraq in 2002. He was medically retired from the Navy in 2008 due to...
Episode #29: Army Combat Engineer Schaefer Mueller
February 14, 2023 22:00 - 1 hour - 85 MBIn this episode of “Stories, Soldiers and Songs”, Guy [Jaquier] and Adam [Rossi] catch up with Operation Encore artist and Army veteran Schaefer Mueller after his recent OE recording session at AR Audio in San Francisco. During the podcast, they discuss Schaefer’s early music influences including his grandfather who played bass guitar for Funk and Jazz bands, and his parents who drove him to Jimmy Buffett concerts in a minivan decorated with shark fins. Following a period sleeping in his ca...
Episode #28: Recon Marine and Scout Sniper Brandon Mills
November 29, 2022 02:00 - 50 minutes - 68.9 MBDuring this episode of “Stories, Soldiers and Songs”, Guy and Adam talk with USMC veteran Brandon Mills about growing up in Kentucky and his service as a Recon Marine and Scout Sniper during multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Brandon also describes his post-military life, which includes three years working with a non-profit in a Palestinian refugee camp, his appearance on the TV series “The Bachelor”, his work in the field of “executive and celebrity security” and, of cou...
Episode #27: Country Rocker and Marine JB Brown
October 08, 2022 17:00 - 54 minutes - 75.5 MBMeet JB Brown -- an up-and-coming artist and Marine with a humble background and a smooth county-rock sound. In this episode of “Stories, Soldiers and Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) discuss JB's journey from a young drummer at a county fair to the streets of Iraq and back again. During the podcast, they discuss JB’s service in a Marine recon unit and his close encounter with a roadside bomb that led to his retirement after 12 years of service. As JB opens up about that day and th...
Episode #27: Country Rocker and Marine JB Brown
October 08, 2022 17:00 - 54 minutes - 75.5 MBMeet JB Brown -- an up-and-coming artist and Marine with a humble background and a smooth county-rock sound. In this episode of “Stories, Soldiers and Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) discuss JB's journey from a young drummer at a county fair to the streets of Iraq and back again. During the podcast, they discuss JB’s service in a Marine recon unit and his close encounter with a roadside bomb that led to his retirement after 12 years of service. As JB opens up about that day and th...
Episode #26: Navy Surface Warfare Officer Morgan Warneke (aka Fogg Warner)
May 18, 2022 01:00 - 44 minutes - 60.7 MBIn this episode of “Stories, Soldiers and Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) catch up with Operation Encore artist and Navy veteran Morgan Warneke in Nashville, TN. During the podcast, they discuss Morgan’s journey from a cross country runner in an Arkansas high school to his time as a Naval Academy cadet, his service as a Surface Warfare Office on a mine sweeper in the Persian Gulf, and finally to his adventures as a singer/songwriter living in Nashville going by the stage name “Fogg Wa...
Episode #25: Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Adam Gaffney
March 21, 2022 00:00 - 44 minutes - 61.8 MBIn this episode of “Stories, Soldiers and Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) catch up with Operation Encore artist and Navy veteran Adam Gaffney while he is recording his new EP (!) at AR Audio in San Francisco. During the podcast, they discuss Adam’s humble Midwest roots his adventures while shopping at Walmart, his military service loading weapons as a Navy Aviation Ordnanceman on aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf (including one particular moment almost having his arm torn off whil...
Episode #25: Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Adam Gaffney
March 21, 2022 00:00 - 44 minutes - 61.8 MBIn this episode of “Stories, Soldiers and Songs”, Guy (Jaquier) and Adam (Rossi) catch up with Operation Encore artist and Navy veteran Adam Gaffney while he is recording his new EP (!) at AR Audio in San Francisco. During the podcast, they discuss Adam’s humble Midwest roots his adventures while shopping at Walmart, his military service loading weapons as a Navy Aviation Ordnanceman on aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf (including one particular moment almost having his arm torn off whil...
Episode #24: Army Veteran Scotty Hasting
January 01, 2022 20:00 - 41 minutes - 57.5 MBIn this episode of "Stories, Soldiers and Songs", Guy and Adam interview a new 2021 addition to the Operation Encore family, Scotty Hasting. During the podcast, Scotty discusses his military service and the challenges of trying to become a household name in country music as a Nashville-based singer-songwriter. He also describes his "really bad day" in Afghanistan when he was shot 10 times and reveals how he adapted his guitar-playing by using a little bit of velcro and ingenuity to overc...
Episode 23: Army Special Operations Soldier Bob Deprato
December 12, 2021 19:00 - 48 minutes - 67.3 MBIn this episode of the Operation Encore (OE) podcase, active-duty Army soldier Bob Deprato drops in the OE studio during his stateside leave and talks to Guy and Adam about his 18-year career in Special Operations. Bob describes his deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, his time in the Crisis Response Force providing security for overseas embassies, his efforts leading military support for overseas Presidential visits, and his experience acting as an Army security liaison for the Tokyo Olympi...
Episode #22 - Marine Landing Support Specialist and "Lioness" Barbara Sim
September 12, 2021 16:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBIn this episode of the Operation Encore podcast, Marine Landing Support Specialist Barbara Sim gives a fascinating, open and honest description of her time in her marines and her singer-songwriting journey. An upcoming country artist with a soaring voice, Barbara describes her time as part of the "Lioness Group" in Iraq, searching for dangerous contraband and explosives among the population (Preview: finding a grenade was "no big deal"). She also describes the feeling of loss and survivo...
Episode #21 - Marine Combat Engineer Steve Harwood
June 27, 2021 17:00 - 39 minutes - 54.7 MBIn this episode of the Operation Encore podcast, former Marine Combat Engineer Steve Harwood takes Guy and Adam on a journey of discovery, from a tumultuous youth to the battlefields of Fallujah. Born in Woodenville, WA, Steve tells the story of how his father bought him a 45-day Greyhound bus ticket after high school and how that eventually led him to join the Marines and drive Humvees across Iraq. After dodging incoming fire during his time in Operation Enduring Freedom, he returned to W...
Episode #20 - Army Combat Medic John Evans - A Story of Recovery
May 29, 2021 16:00 - 50 minutes - 69.3 MBArmy Combat Medic John Evans has a lot of stories to tell. Born in Houston, TX and raised in upstate New York, John idolized his WW2-veteran grandfather and decided to enter the Army immediately following 911. After hearing a slightly inaccurate portrayal of the "Health-Care Specialist" field from his local recruiter, John signed up and was trained as a combat-medic, then deployed multiple times in support of operation Iraqi Freedom. During the podcast, he tells Guy and Adam about one of ...
Episode #19 - Missile Maintainer Angel Santiago - A Journey Back To Music
April 29, 2021 23:00 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBMeet Angel "Nolo" Santiago -- the kind of man who sets his mind to a task and overcomes all obstacles to make it happen. A native of Puerto Rico , Angel had music in his life from a young age. He began playing a nylon-string guitar in grade school and steadily increased his skill through high school as he waited on weekly TV shows to pick up tips and tricks from the likes of Eddie Van Halen. One day after college as he was taking garbage out for a local restaurant, he decided he needed to ...
Episode #18 - The Lloyd Smith Project
March 11, 2021 01:00 - 50 minutes - 68.9 MBMeet Mr. Lloyd Smith -- a doctor, surgeon, chemistry professor, student of California Gold Rush lore, California native, singer/songwriter, and one of the most generous men you'll ever meet. He's also a self-taught luthier who has built over 80 beautiful, custom guitars which he has given away as gifts -- some of which have made their way into the hands of our artists. In partnership with Lloyd, Operation Encore is announcing the Lloyd Smith Project --- an album of Operation Encore artists ...
Episode #17- Army Veteran Tyree Woods - Don't Curse the Darkness, Light a Candle
February 19, 2021 03:00 - 46 minutes - 64.5 MBYou can't have a conversation with Tyree Woods without leaving with a smile on your face. The man with the infectious smile and positive attitude has had his share of trials and tribulations. During this episode of the OE podcast, Tyree describes growing up in Muskegon Heights, MI as a biracial kid, and how foster care helped him forge the resiliency necessary to adapt to a Army life. A veteran of two combat tours in Afghanistan, Tyree describes the bonds formed through combat and why the ...
Episode #17- Army Veteran Tyree Woods - Don't Curse the Darkness, Light a Candle
February 19, 2021 03:00 - 46 minutes - 64.5 MBYou can't have a conversation with Tyree Woods without leaving with a smile on your face. The man with the infectious smile and positive attitude has had his share of trials and tribulations. During this episode of the OE podcast, Tyree describes growing up in Muskegon Heights, MI as a biracial kid, and how foster care helped him forge the resiliency necessary to adapt to a Army life. A veteran of two combat tours in Afghanistan, Tyree describes the bonds formed through combat and why the ...
Episode #16 - OE Artist Brian Boland: Half Redneck, Half Surfer, All American
January 20, 2021 02:00 - 47 minutes - 64.6 MBMeet Brian Boland - Half Redneck, Half Surfer, and all-American active-duty C-130 pilot. During episode #16 of the OE podcast, Brian tells about his adventures in the Coast Guard, from "Flying back from Gitmo yesterday", to conducting iceberg reconnaissance, surfing while watchin 50 caliber machine guns, and conducting 11-ton cocaine drug busts. In his off time from helping stabilize the geo-political scene off our nation's coasts, Brian has written three military fictional books and rel...
Episode #15 - Operation Encore Co-Founder Erik Brine - The Story Behind the Stories
November 24, 2020 19:00 - 54 minutes - 75 MBIn this episode of the OE podcast, Guy Jaquier and Adam Rossi interview Operation Encore Co-Founder Erik Brine. Erik describes the history of OE and how it grew from an idea between friends into a successful non-profit that serves over 25 veteran musicians and performs at events throughout the county. An Air Force Reserve pilot Colonel and former , Erik describes why he tells people he's been involved in multiple military affairs (legislative, public, and international) and describes his str...
Episode #14 - Marine Heavy Vehicle Operator Dani Figueroa - Rewind and Valor
October 17, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 57.2 MBDuring this episode of Soldiers, Stories, and Songs, Dani Figueroa describes how 9/11 altered her life and led her from pursuing a professional soccer career to becoming a Heavy Vehicle Operator and a veteran of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. A former member of both the Army Reserves and the Marine Corps, Dani describes returning home with significant combat injuries and PTSD and how music sustained her over the following years. Recently united with her new...
Episode #13 - Fleet Marine Force Hospital Corpsman Shannon Book - Back from the Brink
July 12, 2020 22:00 - 55 minutes - 75.9 MBDuring this episode of Soldiers, Stories, and Songs, Fleet Marine Force Hospital Corpsman and rocker Shannon Book describes his journey from Hazel Green, Ky to the battlefields of Fallujah, the aftermath that left him on the verge of taking his life, and the own personal story of recovery from PTSD. During the session with Guy and Adam, Shannon highlights three songs that he performs unplugged. "American Made", a song about the privileges of American life that some take for granted, "Dear M...
Episode #12 - Special Deployed Edition with OE Co-Founder Rob Raymond and Dylan Westmoreland
June 07, 2020 20:00 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBDuring this special deployed edition of Operation Encore, Co-founder (and active-duty Colonel) Rob Raymond talks with Adam Rossi from an undisclosed location in the Middle East. During the podcast, Rob describes the origins of Operation Encore and how veteran musicians gravitate toward one another, especially during deployments. His current deployment is no different. Rob introduces the audience to Dylan Westmoreland, a Red Dirt country artist who is on the verge of releasing a four-song E...
Episode #11 - Air Force Pilot Keith Broecker -- "Two Weeks", Tent Cities and TERA - A Pilot's Story
May 13, 2020 23:00 - 49 minutes - 67.7 MBMeet Keith Broecker, a former Air Force pilot who used his guitar and quick wit to convince a cadre of instructor pilots he was worth keeping around....leading to an aviation career that spans Learjets, Tankers, Spy planes, and your next United flight (eventually). During the podcast, Keith opens up about how the Air Force culture deals with death, how the "dreaded" assignment to Grand Forks North Dakota was actually pretty awesome and how 17 deployments and hundreds of combat hours led him ...
Episodes #10; Air Battle Manager Theresa Bowman - Uke-Not Stop Us With Covid-19
April 26, 2020 19:00 - 34 minutes - 48 MBDuring an appropriately social distanced Podcast, former Air Force Air Battle Manager Theresa Bowman describes life as a business owner during the current pandemic and she always tries to build-others up during times of crisis. A prolific Ukulele player and one half of a a dual-service marriage, Theresa describes some of her early adventures as a fan of the (*Cough*) Australian entertainment industry, how she came to fall in love with her magic husband, how she first heard about Operation E...
Episode #9 - Navy Seahawk Helicopter Pilot Jerry Maniscalco
April 04, 2020 20:00 - 47 minutes - 64.7 MBMeet Jerry Maniscalco -- Annapolis graduate, former SH-60B Helicopter Pilot, University of Michigan business school graduate and Operation Encore singer-songwriter with the Dave Matthews sound. During the podcast, Jerry describes how he received his callsign "Toothless", his escapades in the North Atlantic, Central America and the Middle East. Along the way, he plays acoustic versions of "Riverside", a song that takes him back to Jacksonville, FL, "Wishing Eye", a song about the complexity ...
Episode #8 - Marine Radio Field Operator Zack Sliver - A Scoundrel's tale of Overcoming Adversity
March 21, 2020 16:00 - 56 minutes - 78.1 MBFormer Marine and Dayton native Zack Sliver is one of the most authentic people you'll ever meet. A son of a pastor, his life has been an exercise in mental toughness and service to others as he's grown from "Angry Young and Poor" to "A Place to Call [HIs] Own". Zack leads Guy Jaquier and Adam Rossi through an incredible set of experiences in his young life -- from serving the homeless as a young teenager, to his first assignment in Japan, his first-hand tragic experience losing his best fri...
Episode #8 - Marine Radio Field Operator Zack Sliver - A Scoundrel's tale of Overcoming Adversity
March 21, 2020 16:00 - 56 minutes - 78.1 MBFormer Marine and Dayton native Zack Sliver is one of the most authentic people you'll ever meet. A son of a pastor, his life has been an exercise in mental toughness and service to others as he's grown from "Angry Young and Poor" to "A Place to Call [HIs] Own". Zack leads Guy Jaquier and Adam Rossi through an incredible set of experiences in his young life -- from serving the homeless as a young teenager, to his first assignment in Japan, his first-hand tragic experience losing his best fri...
Episode #7 - Special Guest Tom Luce: Four-Tracks, Fame & Family - A Musician's Arc
February 22, 2020 17:00 - 49 minutes - 67.7 MBIn this special episode, Operation Encore advisory board member Tom Luce describes his incredible musical career and how he went from painting houses to touring across the nation in sold-out venues. Tom describes the challenges of his early career, how he felt peace in the silent moments driving across the country, how he moved from the success of one song to a vibrant career, and how through it all, he focused on his love for melodies, lyrics, and arranging music. During the podcast, you'l...
Episode #7 - Special Guest Tom Luce: Four-Tracks, Fame & Family - A Musician's Arc
February 22, 2020 17:00 - 49 minutes - 67.7 MBIn this special episode, Operation Encore advisory board member Tom Luce describes his incredible musical career and how he went from painting houses to touring across the nation in sold-out venues. Tom describes the challenges of his early career, how he felt peace in the silent moments driving across the country, how he moved from the success of one song to a vibrant career, and how through it all, he focused on his love for melodies, lyrics, and arranging music. During the podcast, you'l...
Episode #6 - Navy Meterologist Logan Vath - From Nebraska to Norfolk, A Songwriters Story
February 01, 2020 02:00 - 46 minutes - 63.6 MBFormer Navy meteorologist and singer-songwriter Logan Vath tells about his experiences in the Navy and life as a singer-songwriter. During the podcast, Logan shares tells about his love for his hometown of Scott's Bluff Nebraska, drinking beer in a field (he never participated), his 159 day journey aboard the USS Nassau (he was robbed of a record), avoiding Bob Dylan (he eventually relented), his brief encounter with law enforcement (a misunderstanding) and the origins of The Fraternization...
Episode #5: Combat Medic Stephen Covell -- Monumental Impacts...Songs that Stay with You
January 10, 2020 02:00 - 48 minutes - 66.9 MBA former combat medic who served two tours in Iraq during the "surge", Stephen Covell is a gifted, authentic storyteller with an incredible voice that carries lyrics with vivid imagery that stays with you long after the song ends, begging you to hit "repeat". During episode #5 of the OE podcast, Adam Rossi and Guy Jaquier introduce the audience to Stephen, a hyperactive kid who picked up a guitar at 18 and frustrated his music teachers by learning everything quickly by ear. Stephen tells t...
Episode #4: The Real Doug Lane -- Kingsville, Courage, and Country
December 20, 2019 01:00 - 45 minutes - 63.1 MBA rising country artist and 3rd-generation veteran out of Provo, Utah, The Real Doug Lane describes the origin of "The Real" part of his name, the trials of growing up under challenging circumstances and the lessons learned from a family of veterans. During the interview, Doug explains the story behind the song "Faces" and the impacts of his grandfather's struggle with Alzheimer's, his struggles with transitioning from the military, and the time he was first considered "The Old Guy". Alo...
Episode #4: The Real Doug Lane -- Kingsville, Courage, and Country
December 20, 2019 01:00 - 45 minutes - 63.1 MBA rising country artist and 3rd-generation veteran out of Provo, Utah, The Real Doug Lane describes the origin of "The Real" part of his name, the trials of growing up under challenging circumstances and the lessons learned from a family of veterans. During the interview, Doug explains the story behind the song "Faces" and the impacts of his grandfather's struggle with Alzheimer's, his struggles with transitioning from the military, and the time he was first considered "The Old Guy". Alo...
Operation Encore #3: Military Spouse Rachel Harvey Hill
November 17, 2019 01:00 - 42 minutes - 58.3 MBMilitary spouse and Kentucky native Rachel Harvey Hill sits down with Adam Rossi and Guy Jaquier and discusses life as a military spouse. During the chat, she shares her introduction to military life with her future husband, the impacts and fears of 911, getting through deployments as a spouse and the impacts of military life on her kids. Along the way, she shares advice for other military spouses, sings authentic songs inspired by her experiences and speaks about her many projects, includin...
Operation Encore Episode #2 - Army Paratrooper Steve D. Wilson
October 20, 2019 22:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBSteve D. Wilson is an award-winning singer-songwriter and a veteran of both the Army and the Air Force. The son of a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, he served for 16 years as an Army paratrooper and a B-52 Electronic Warfare instructor. Steve has created a unique style with a driving beat and authentic lyrics developed from his experiences in life and the military. His music is an autobiographical road map of Steve's lifelong drive to play music, but also subtly touches on the way w...
Operation Encore Episode #2 - Steve D. Wilson
October 20, 2019 22:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBSteve D. Wilson is an award-winning singer-songwriter and a veteran of both the Army and the Air Force. The son of a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, he served for 16 years as an Army paratrooper and a B-52 Electronic Warfare instructor. Steve has created a unique style with a driving beat and authentic lyrics developed from his experiences in life and the military. His music is an autobiographical road map of Steve's lifelong drive to play music, but also subtly touches on the way w...
Operation Encore Episode #1 - Andrew Wiscombe
August 31, 2019 14:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBOperation Encore is a non-profit veteran service organization that helps veteran artists get noticed in the music industry while advocating for veterans through the powerful medium of original music. A folk musician based out of Utah, Andrew Wiscombe’s style has been referred to as foot-stompin’ street music. He showcases his musical talents in one-man band fashion, playing up to five instruments at once. A Berklee trained award-winning songwriter, Andrew has a unique ability to clothe st...
Operation Encore Episode #1 - Army Sniper Andrew Wiscombe
August 31, 2019 14:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBOperation Encore is a non-profit veteran service organization that helps veteran artists get noticed in the music industry while advocating for veterans through the powerful medium of original music. A folk musician based out of Utah, Andrew Wiscombe’s style has been referred to as foot-stompin’ street music. He showcases his musical talents in one-man band fashion, playing up to five instruments at once. A Berklee trained award-winning songwriter, Andrew has a unique ability to clothe st...