Glorious Professionals

Michael Easter recently visited GORUCK HQ for a book signing and Heavy Rucking Mile party. Before the big ruck, Jason and Emily talked with Michael about the search for happiness and his new book, Scarcity Brain. Michael is an author and journalist who wrote The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain. Writing books takes him around the world to wild places to learn about physical and mental health and how we can live better. He lives on the edge of the desert in Las Vegas and rucks often with his wife and two dogs. Links: Michael Easter Scarcity Brain The Heavy Rucking Mile 2023 Fit Talk™ - Adventure 2022 Fit Talk™ - Empowerment & Your Why Learn more about GORUCK

Jason and Rich discuss risk and leadership with Pete Blaber, former Delta Force Commander and author of the books The Mission, The Men and Me and The Common Sense Way. Pete Blaber commanded at every level of one of the most elite counter-terrorist organizations in the world during most of recent history's most significant military and political events (Panama, Colombia, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq). In 2006 he retired from the military and transitioned from leading elite combat teams around the globe, to leading elite corporate teams for one of the world's largest and most innovative Biotechnology Companies. Links: Pete Blaber The Mission, The Men and Me The Common Sense Way Learn more about GORUCK

For this Memorial Day episode of Glorious Professionals, Jason & Emily are joined by Will Ostan to discuss his work as a wounded warrior advocate, the problem with the term “disabled veteran,” and how you can get involved to help better the current veteran benefits system. William J. Ostan is a medically retired U.S. Army Major and combat veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the Founder and President of Arc of Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for wounded warriors still on active duty. Will is currently spearheading the Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights (H.R. 6043) in Congress. Links: Arc of Justice H.R.6043 - Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights Act Learn more about GORUCK

Jason and Emily are joined by Cadre DS and Mocha Mike to discuss the first-annual GORUCK Games that took place at the recent Sandlot JAX Fitness Festival.  The GORUCK Games are a competition of grit worth $50K in prize money. Special Forces training tests athletes across a broad array of activities to ensure well-rounded strength, agility, and endurance. GORUCK harkens back to those roots in a 2-Day competition of grit that features an obstacle course, rucking, weighted challenges, running, sprinting, jumping, rowing and sandbag work. Links: goruckgames.com sandlotjax.com goruck.com Glorious Professionals podcast website

This is a special episode of Glorious Professionals where Jason breaks down the upcoming Sandlot JAX Fitness Festival - a big party presented by GORUCK, Rogue Fitness, and Savage Race. In the throes of COVID-19, Emily and I started working out in our driveway every day, just to keep sane. We invited our friends and then they invited theirs — we did some push-ups, tossed some sandbags, and flowed through some down dogs, but that wasn't the best part. The best part was getting together, in the real world, drenched in sweat, talking about our lives, watching our kids run around (chaos!), taking in the long summer nights together with smiles and a few cold ones, as God intended. This is how friendships are forged and communities are strengthened — it also happens to be a great way to get healthy and live that life. No technology required, all you gotta do is show up.. Acting on the Inspiration. We've spent our entire professional careers in fitness, sports, and community-building in service to our country and at GORUCK. We've put on thousands of events and been to tons of spectator events and tons of races and we've read the books and watched the TED Talks on health and human performance. Many of the thought leaders have become dear friends of ours over the years. We all agree that there are times to be academic, and times to spectate, and times to race the clock — and then there are other times to just get together and crank the music up and have some fun. We thought, what if we invite all our friends to this town we love, to join us and do what they do best? People make the party, and we had no interest in doing this alone. We'll take over a field in a big park right on the river and turn it over to the trainers, rent out a first class speakers' venue, put up some obstacles so you have to earn the best view of the skyline, and invite everyone to join us, and let these global leaders activate their communities however they want, where their only limitation is their imagination. I envisioned this as the South by Southwest of fitness, which people seemed to get, and when everyone we asked said yes, they'd fly to town and lead classes and speak and stay up late and wake up early — “We're In” they kept saying — we knew we were onto something. And so Sandlot JAX was born. Because my dad was and is such a Deadhead (a Grateful Dead fan), I learned that the best of life at a festival is about a lot more than just what goes on center stage, so of course we have camping, and glamping laid on. If you make it easy for people to have fun, they will. Based on who's coming, I know we're going to sweat and smile, learn a bunch of new ideas we can bring back to our daily lives, see a bunch of old friends, stay out super late and wake up super early, eat a bunch of hot meals made in a food truck, explore some rooftops late night, and squeeze as much life (and fitness) into a long weekend as humanly possible. And I know we'll look forward to this kind of festival style reunion every single year. We hope you'll join us. – Jason McCarthy Founder, GORUCK & Sandlot JAX Links: sandlotjax.com goruck.com roguefitness.com savagerace.com Glorious Professionals podcast website

“My advice is to always find a way to take a good step forward.” To kick off 2022, Dr. Mike Roussell joins Jason for Episode 054 focusing on nutrition. Dr. Mike consults on health, nutrition, and performance for a range of clientele from professional athletes, to celebrities, to Fortune 500 executives. “With a passion for nutrition rooted in sport,” he is a speaker, podcaster and author who breaks down complicated nutrition ideas and principles to easily digestible, immediately actionable steps.  While he is a “diet agnostic” Dr Mike lays out early his six pillars of nutrition, and why he focuses on the “dos” instead of the “don'ts.” He talks about why making mental shifts -- and having supportive community -- are more critical to health and performance success than the perfect plan. He returns to a common Special Forces theme of “brilliance in the basics” and remembering you're one meal (or even bite) away from being back on track towards your goals. After covering the first steps and creating a foundation of nutritional health, Jason and Dr. Mike take it to a higher level of performance and cover a lot of ground from hydration, to eating to optimize recovery, his “calorie vibe” approach, rucking nutrition, the pitfalls of food marketing and the global problems in health literacy, and even the amazingness of Jason's beloved PB&J. Throughout he advocates for “struggling through to make the new habit part of our lives.”  Dr. Mike holds a degree in biochemistry from Hobart College and a doctorate in nutrition from Pennsylvania State University. He is well published both in academic circles and also has over 500 articles in places like Men's Health and SHAPE magazines. He also walks the talk as a longtime athlete and weightlifter, and rucker since 2016. Links: MikeRoussell.com Episode 041 - Michael Easter Episode 036 - Dr. Doug Kechijian Episode 046 - Melissa Urban Learn more about GORUCK and Sandlot Jax (where Dr. Mike will be a speaker) Glorious Professionals podcast website

“The lessons you learn at GORUCK events, they're applicable to everything in life.” Cadre Dan Plants returns to the podcast for episode 053 to talk with Jason about 10 years of building better Americans through GORUCK Events. Dan uses his experience as an Army Sergeant Major and multiple deployments as a Green Beret to teach servant leadership, teamwork and the mindset of pushing through adversity during his events. “I always, always, always put people first. Always.” Starting with his introductory speech from the first Heavy at Fort Bragg, Dan shares some of the why behind GORUCK events through his first events as a participant and Cadre, the first Ascent, GORUCK Selection, Normandy and numerous other Challenges. Dan shares some of his personal challenges leading events, funny stories and the reasons he keeps coming back (hint: it is about the people). He also shares some of his lessons from years of service from his mentors at the tip of the spear.  Whether you have done a Challenge or are thinking of signing up for your first event, this episode is motivation and reminder of the community and spirit of GORUCK over 10years -- how it has changed and grown -- and how investing in the long game and building bridges pays off.  Links: GORUCK Heavy 001 Video (the intro) - Fort Bragg 2014 “How Dan Changed GORUCK Forever” Battle of Shok Valley Glorious Professionals Episode 045 - Normandy Retrospective Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website  

“Everyone wants someone to care about them right? And that is what we are trying to do.” Sara Wilkinson is back with Jason and Emily for Episode 052 to focus on her work raising awareness of the struggles which lead to veteran suicide and the CHAD 1000x workout and events. In Episode 047, Sara told her and Chad's story of love and life and the events leading up to his death by suicide on October 29, 2018 after 21 years of service as a Navy SEAL including numerous deployments and TBIs, blast wave injuries and PTSD. This conversation is about warning signs, reaching out, hard conversations and maybe the start of cultural change to lower the number of veteran suicides. Sara's message is personal and her vulnerability has inspired many to reach out to her with their own stories of struggle since the first CHAD 1000x event in 2020 in Virginia Beach, and even more after recently appearing with Jason on Episode 296 of the Jocko Podcast. To say that she has saved lives with her message is an understatement. This year's Veterans Day CHAD 1000x workout and events aim to build even more community around supporting active service and veterans who struggle -- normalizing the conversations and care for each other. The workout is deceptively simple, not technical, the hardest part is to just “take one more step.”    Links: Glorious Professionals Episode 047 with Sara Jocko Podcast Episode 296 with Sara and Jason Sara's “Stand Down Warfighter” piece CHAD 1000x and 4-week Training Program Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website

“Every time I thought this might be the end, it showed up again.” Malaika Underwood joins Jason and Emily for a very friendly Episode 051 to talk about her athletic career and the future she hopes to see in youth and professional sports. Born and raised in San Diego, playing freely with a gaggle of neighborhood kids, Malaika says baseball -- not softball -- found her and became a lifelong love. She dreamed of being a professional player, “the first,” as opportunities for girls and women in baseball were rare to nonexistent.  She wrote to coaches to find a potential spot on a High School team -- not for special treatment, just for fair chance. Malaika talks about her competitiveness and stubbornness, along with the support of her parents, helping to deal with the weight of constantly having to prove herself -- “to be perfect” -- as the only girl on the team. Although baseball was her passion, her athleticism in volleyball earned her a place as a recruited scholarship athlete at UNC Chapel Hill. She talks about the struggle and culture shock of that transition as well as the relief of not being “the only.” When she found the USA Baseball Team in 2006 -- having not played competitively for 7 years but staying involved in the game as coach and mentor -- the loneliness she had always felt on the diamond gave way to playing on a field of other women (an experience common to most of them). She is now the longest-tenured player on a USA Baseball National Team, male or female.  She has earned five Women's Baseball World Cup medals, as well as two Women's Baseball World Cup All-Tournament Team selections.  Malaika is also wife to Chris, mother to Birdie and Kit, author, and professional in the sports arena, spending her time and talents to support college athletes as the NCAA landscape changes. She speaks about the importance of free-play for kids, carving a path for girls and women into professional baseball, and the aspirational steps needed to get there. The conversation covers a lot of ground in sports from large personalities to the history of softball, and throughout there is a love of the game and appreciation for the power of team sport. Links: “Birdie Can Too!” by Malaika Underwood USA Baseball Discrepancy in NCAA Basketball Tournaments Coverage and in 2021 Tournaments Facilities “In Search of Greatness” Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website

“I want my Afghan friends to know you're not forgotten and you never were.” Episode 050 is a conversation Jason and Emily had with Jaala Shaw about Afghanistan, recorded on Friday August 20th (important context given recent events). Jaala lived outside the green zone as a State Department Fellow and Specialist teaching at Kabul Education University and working with teachers and students in the public school system in Kabul from 2010-2012. Her role was to develop relationships with an understanding of history and culture and she has maintained strong ties to the region. Just one part of a long and storied resume from all over the world, Jaala shares her experiences living in Kabul and engaging in “public diplomacy” and cultural immersion. The stories she tells contrast starkly with the current chaotic situation as she relates from friends still there. She shares stories of engaging in typical Afghan life at the time, as well as of meeting her now-husband Larry just outside Camp Eggers where she went surreptitiously to “wear booty shorts and do CrossFit” for breaks -- although she says the journeys through the green zone made her feel the most unsafe while in Afghanistan. With a resident's insight as well as a westerner's perspective, she shares some Afghan and Taliban history and the sometimes dramatic shifts in culture and day-to-day reality of locals -- particularly women -- in the last few decades. Most importantly Jaala shares reasons for hope and vetted resources for information and to help (see links below).   Some updates: her friend with family she mentioned waiting at the airport finally, thankfully made it out of country safely. Two of her husband's former Afghan colleagues escaped with their families to the US. Unfortunately many of their other friends and their families are still in hiding or fleeing -- Taliban have visited many of their relatives trying to find them.  As of publish date, “none of the women have left their homes or returned to their jobs since the Taliban took over.”  Links: Jaala's Original Post, Articles in NYT “At War” Blog, Personal Blog, and  "Changes in Kabul Classrooms" piece she mentioned Women for Afghan Women Modesto Junior College Afghan Advocacy Contacting your Representative (for American Citizens who'd like to advocate) Task Force Pineapple Learn more about GORUCK and Jaala's post “Hope Remains”  Glorious Professionals podcast website

Episode 049 begins with a piece written by Matthew “Griff” Griffin through the voice of the Taliban watching the withdrawal of US forces in Afghanistan. This conversation was recorded August 19, 2021 -- important context given more recent events. Jason and Rich are joined by fellow veterans Griff and Blayne Smith to share their perspectives and recommendations for action for those who have served as well as civilians. It is a “license to feel” through surreal, confusing, frustrating events, as well as a call to take care of those that have borne the brunt of the wars of the last 20 years. Griff is a 2001 West Point Graduate; Army Ranger, Combat Veteran with the 75th Ranger Regiment (3x Afghanistan, 1x Iraq); and CEO of Combat Flip Flops, which he co-founded in Kabul, Afghanistan. Blayne, of Episode 006 of Glorious Professionals, is also a graduate of West Point; former Green Beret combat veteran of 3rd Special Forces Group in Afghanistan in 2009; former Executive Director of Team Red White & Blue; and co-Founder of Applied Leadership Partners. Links: VeteranCheckIn.org Original Post on Combat Flip Flops Episode 006 - Blayne Smith “Pet” - A Perfect Circle SIGAR.mil Ben Bunn Instagram Post and Episode 021 VA Veterans Crisis Line, GetHeadstrong.org, Cohen Veterans Network, Vets4Warriors Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

“As for me, after seeing what I've seen, I'm always gonna bet on freedom to win out in the end.” Episode 048 is the first in a series of episodes on Afghanistan. Former Green Beret and Ranger Battalion Sniper Aaron Hand joins Jason and Rich to talk about his late night FB post on his current feelings and outlook -- which Jason reads to start the podcast -- as well as his time in country, the current situation of withdrawal, historical parallels, the taste of freedom and reasons to have hope for the future.  Aaron grew up in Boston, enlisted in the Army infantry in 1992, and was eventually stationed in the 3/75 at Fort Benning as a sniper. He deployed to Somalia in 1993 and was part of the vehicle convoy there that became known as Blackhawk Down. He then went through Special Forces Qualification and was at Fort Campbell in “The Legion” of 5th SF Group on 9/11. He, with ODA 543, was one of the first soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan as part of Task Force Dagger and the larger Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001.  Aaron provides historical context to the current situation in Afghanistan -- both from his time served there as well as the time before. Rich (also a member of The Legion) was in Afghanistan in the 1980's, notably in “Charlie Wilson's War” carrying stinger missiles to the mujahideen. Before that, Rich was also on a special forces team who evacuated people during the fall of Saigon in the mid 70s and talks through the comparisons to those events. Throughout, there is measured, important conversation for both the average American citizen trying to understand what is going on, as well as veterans who might have strong feelings about current events -- particularly in the lead up to the 20th anniversary of 9/11.   Links: Episode 038 - Rich on “Charlie Wilson's War”  Rich Introduction and history in Vietnam - Episode 003 Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

“I don't think anyone can live this life and not be affected.” Sara Wilkinson, gold star wife of Navy SEAL Chad Wilkinson, joins Emily and Jason in Jacksonville for Episode 047 in hard, honest conversation about growing up in a military family, her and Chad's love story, the life of deployments as a military spouse, being a mom to Kinsley and Hudson, and Chad's death by suicide in 2018 and the birth of Chad 1000x. SCPO Chad Wilkinson was born into the Navy. Both his uncle and father were SEALs (before his dad became a Marine One helicopter pilot) and Sara says it was what Chad was born to do. As a fellow military kid he, with his two brothers and sister, grew up on bases and he ultimately graduated from Camp Lejeune HS. After a year at UCF, Chad enlisted in the Navy and successfully completed BUD/S. After three deployments with SEAL Team Eight, Chad left service for almost three years. He re-entered and (as Sara recounts) rejoined and was selected to join SEAL Team Six out of VA Beach. Among many deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq and various places in Africa, Chad served for 21 years and was the recipient of the Silver Star. Chad was on active duty in Virginia Beach when he died by suicide on October 29, 2018.  Sara met Chad on her first day of 9th grade on a base in Quantico, VA. It was the 14th of 15 K-12 schools she would attend as “a military kid born and bred,” daughter of a Marine. Chad's signature “hey” started a surprise Homecoming invitation her sophomore year and a long, somewhat tumultuous courtship. Separations, breakups, and life changes punctuated their teenage and early adult years, culminating in a proposal and elopement right before Chad's second deployment. Throughout, Sara says, “I wanted to be where he was.” Two great kids, a separation and reenlistment in the Navy, cross country moves, climbing mountains and finding community in CrossFit followed.  Sara talks about the unique personality required to survive and thrive to be married to the guys who do this work: fearlessness, independence, resilience. And the terrible toll that it can take on tier one operators as well as “their first responders.” She talks through the “what ifs” and all the looking back she has done to see if there were signs of Chad's unseen injuries which ultimately led to his death. “There's so many questions you're never going to get answers to.”  Finally, as one who knows what it feels like to have her person gone, Sara talks about her call to suicide-prevention advocacy, community with other widows, and the search for the multiple answers for others as well as finding some healing for herself. She, with Jason and Emily, share the story of the birth of Chad 1000x and The StepUp Project and how the ripple effects of Chad's life and death continue to move outward.  This is a long conversation so some timestamps to help navigate it: 0:00 - Introduction and excerpts from Sara's speech at the National Navy SEAL Museum on Memorial Day 0:05 - Sara's young life and meeting Chad 0:15 - College years and BUDs 0:25 - Proposal, elopement, and living in the “team house” in VA Beach, living as a military spouse 0:34 - Move to Raleigh and decision to “get back in,” move to CA… and back to VA Beach 0:44 - Finding CrossFit and life back in VA Beach with SEAL Team 6 deployments 0:50 - Early signs, symptoms, leading up to 2008 1:20 - Chad's last days and death 1:35 - The aftermath, what has helped Sara 1:40 - The birth of Chad 1000x and going forward Links: Sara on Instagram National Navy SEAL Museum “Crossfit - Meet Sara” (2013) Video The First Chad1000x Video Episode 028 - Dave Castro and Morning ChalkUp Story Learn more about GORUCK and Chad 1000x Glorious Professionals podcast website

“The more I use my voice, the more powerful I feel.” For Episode 046 Jason and Emily have a deep and far-ranging conversation with Melissa Urban: Whole30 Co-Founder and CEO, recovered addict, New York Times best-selling author, mother, podcast host, nature churchgoer, and rucker. From a “good kid” in New Hampshire through trauma, addiction, recovery and now an entrepreneur with a large platform and living a life of a “healthy person with healthy habits,” Melissa has eschewed perfectionism in pursuit of finding the light. And yet still has a “go hard” streak. Melissa talks about growing up in a huge, tight-knit Catholic-Portuguese family where “if you didn't talk about it, it didn't happen.” With hard vulnerability she shares about her sexual assault at 16 and how not talking about it not only didn't make it go away but led to her drug addiction. She now, after years of self-work and recovery, accepts that trauma will never be “done.”  An introvert who “liked books more than people” growing up, Melissa has dedicated her life to habit research and the reset offered by the Whole30 program she developed. She shares some of the lessons she has learned as a somewhat-reluctant business owner and dedicated community builder who tries to make Whole30 accessible to as many as who want to do it. She talks about what it is like to be the face of a brand, the challenges of building community particularly in online spaces, and how she and Whole30 have made decisions about the brand. A former crossfitter and student at Gym Jones who is an avid hiker (her church) with her dog Henry, through Michael Easter's The Comfort Crisis she found rucking and talks about what being that kind of “badass” has brought to her life.  Through years of therapy and learning to set boundaries, her recovery and decision to change everything in her life, overall Melissa shares how she found grace and empathy for her younger self -- and the strength in softness. Links: Melissa Urban Melissa on Instagram Episode 041 - Michael Easter - The Comfort Crisis Episode 023 - Jimi Letchford Learn more about GORUCK and Chad 1000x Glorious Professionals podcast website

“It's the ultimate symbol that freedom and liberty will always prevail. Always.” For episode 045, Jason, Emily, and Rich talked with Sergeant Major Dan Plants about D-Day and the GORUCK events he has led in Normandy to remember and honor the sacrifices of those who fought there. A history lesson combined with the personal remembrances of those who have rucked those storied beaches with some of the veterans who know it best, this is an episode about the spirit of the American soldier and “the men who persevered in the face of their own death.”  Informed by books about WWII and D-Day, as well as his own years of service including in the storied 82nd Airborne, Cadre Dan has taught many a GRT about the tactics of taking an entrenched position. The Atlantic Wall was the ultimate entrenched position: 2,000 miles of coastline from the south of France to Norway, heavily armored by the Nazi war machine over 2 years. What the allies lacked in fortifications, they made up for in ingenuity and were backed by dominant air and sea forces. Cadre Dan speaks about the 3 difference makers for the allies -- particularly the Americans -- on an individual level: empowerment, shared knowledge and training with a purpose.  “Humbled and grateful to have had the opportunity to serve with such outstanding Americans,” Dan sees in his role as a leader of the next generation of soldiers the requirement to teach the lessons of D-Day. Those lessons are well learned rucking the beaches and highground at Normandy, standing on a piece of the “Atlantic Wall,” crying amongst the thousands of graves in the cemeteries and listening to the few remaining veteran soldiers who were there on D-Day share their firsthand accounts. Links:   Cadre Dan D-Day by Stephen Ambrose Dawn of D-Day by David Hawarth The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan Higgins Boats Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website  

Jim “Pee Wee” Martin in Ohio, one of the “Toccoa Originals” and few surviving paratroopers of WWII sat down with Jason and Rich, along with a handful of GORUCK Cadre, for Episode 044 in Ohio. On June 6, 2014, the 70th anniversary of D-Day, Martin became the last WWII era American paratrooper to jump over Normandy at the age of 93, landing behind Utah Beach just as he had 70 years earlier. A frank storyteller with strong opinions, Mr. Martin sprinkles his recollections with the greater history as well as personal anecdotes, and reminds that he is “just a representative of his unit.”  A child of the Depression, Martin entered the military in 1942 and volunteered for the 101st Airborne Division -- what became the Screaming Eagles. He and the original “Toccoa Men” went through intense training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, where the 506th was formed under Colonel Robert F. Sink. Martin talks about his decision to serve and the culling process at Currahee mountain -- from 6500 to 1650 men over the first 6months -- with blunt honesty. Despite being the smallest in his unit at 103 pounds (hence “Pee Wee” as a nickname) he says the only worry was if he was going to be able to stay. The night before D-Day, June 6, 1944, Martin's company parachuted over Normandy and touched down in enemy-controlled territory behind Utah Beach. They fought for 43 days as part of the Normandy campaign -- including in “Bloody Gulch” -- before moving on to invade Holland; holding the line in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge; and finishing off by taking Berchtesgaden, site of Hitler's “Eagle's Nest” redoubt in the German Alps. Martin celebrated his 100th birthday this year with a mass parachute drop -- including two of his granddaughters -- using vintage aircraft in a tribute to his place in history and his community. He talks about returning to Ohio in a time of continued rationing, marrying Donna (his wife of 72years before she passed two years ago) and building a life for them and their 5 children. He says that while he rarely thinks about his service “except during talks like this” because he and his fellows “had more important things to do” he shares many memories from his unique perspective.  Links: Jim Martin's Facebook Page Battle of Bloody Gulch “Jim "Pee Wee" Martin - Airborne Soldier” video by U.S. Army Broadcasting (2014) Mark Bando's 101st Airborne - the Screaming Eagles at Normandy Maj. Gen. James McConville and French Legion honors Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website

“If you're the best, nothing else matters.” Episode 043 remembers and honors 1st Lt Ashley White Stumpf with some of the people who knew her well: Brian Porter, Doug Baker and Molly Donahue. Ashley served as a member of a Cultural Support Team (CST) attached to a Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan. She was killed during combat operations in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan on October 22, 2011 when the assault force she was supporting triggered an improvised explosive device. The story of the CSTs is eloquently told in Ashley's War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield by Gayle Lemmon. This episode is more about telling the personal stories of Ashley's life, how she touched everyone she met, and how her relentless spirit lives on through them. Brian, Ashley's recruiter at Kent State, recalls how Ashley insisted on a home visit to make sure that her folks and family understood and supported her in what she was already determined to do. Doug details how they enlisted and “grew up” together at Kent State as part of a tight-knit group of diverse friends. He describes Ashley constantly encouraging her team and growing into a confident leader, at home in both a sorority house and on the ROTC training field. He shares how despite her small size she consistently proved herself, and even bested him, in training -- overscoring on PT tests and going above and beyond in the gym -- forever changing his ideas of what women are capable of. Molly served with Ashley in 6th Platoon at Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) in 2010 and relates how “Little White” proved herself to herself first and foremost, and also left a lasting legacy with whom she served. Ashley was commissioned in the U.S. Army as a Medical Service Corps Officer after graduating from Kent State in 2009. “She wanted to help people,” says Doug. She was assigned to the 230th Brigade Support Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina National Guard, Goldsboro, NC. She volunteered to be one of the first CSTs serving in Afghanistan and was the first killed in action. She was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. She is survived by her parents Robert and Deborah White, twin sister Brittany and her brother Josh of Alliance, Ohio, and her husband Cpt. Jason Stumpf of Raeford, N.C. Links: Ashley's War by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon History of Cultural Support Teams (including the recruitment poster) Ashley White 5K at Kent State Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website

“I want to find out what's true” Sebastian Junger -- war journalist, documentary filmmaker, and author of Tribe, The Perfect Storm, War and most recently Freedom -- joins Jason and Emily for Episode 042 about calculated risks, seeing the world as it is, the service of journalism, and doing hard physical things to feel differently about oneself. Junger grew up in the suburbs of Boston, a childhood that didn't feel hard or like real life. His father was the survivor of two wars, a “rationalist with deep empathy” and a pacifist who hated fascism enough to encourage his son to sign his selective service card to potentially serve in another WWII. Instead, Sebastian served as a war reporter and saw his role as providing critical information and the truth about atrocities and conflict. He found the role, and risks, intoxicating as well as noble. In 2007 Sebastian embedded with the Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army in the Korangal Valley of Afghanistan for Vanity Fair. There he met award-winning photojournalist Tim Hetherington and they created the documentary “Restrepo” which was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Sebastian talks about the bonds created through those experiences, with the soldiers and with Tim, and the parallels between service in the military and journalism.  In 2011 Tim was killed in Libya covering the Libyan civil war -- an assignment Sebastian was also supposed to be on. Sebastian talks through his PTSD, guilt, depression and the spiral of loss through deaths, miscarriage, giving up war reporting, and his divorce which led him to “The Last Patrol” -- a 400mil walk along the railroad tracks between New York and DC -- which helped him “climb out of the hole.” He talks about pain as a motivator for improvement, the potential trap of solutions and being open to knowing when the end has come.  His new book Freedom was born of that “weird marginal existence” and he explores the tension between needing society/community and having freedom -- both evolutionary and today. His new adventure is as father of two daughters -- seeing the magic in that reality -- and navigating the tension between the modern inventions which saved his life last year and the traps of technology.   Links: Sebastian Junger and Freedom Sebastian Junger Remembers Tim Hetherington Restrepo “The Last Patrol” on HBO Vets Town Halls Donate Blood through the Red Cross Learn more about GORUCK and Tribe Glorious Professionals podcast website

“What we were built to do can inform a lot of what we should do today.” Michael Easter joins Jason and Emily for Episode 041 on embracing discomfort through putting ourselves in extreme situations to appreciate what we have and find better health. Michael is known in Heath Journalism as the guy who interviews interesting people doing interesting things. For his new book “The Comfort Crisis” he went on a hunting trip in remote Alaska for 33 days to write about how the most uncomfortable, vulnerable and challenging situations reset our perspective and make us better people in our daily lives. Michael attributes his endurance and toughness to his “badass” single mom. His natural curiosity and experience traveling while young made him the guy who would go to “get the good stuff.” He likes to fully embed with experts and subjects, not just do interviews behind a screen, and laughs with Jason and Emily about living with them for a few days to better learn about rucking -- even if it meant early chaotic wakeups.  The through-line for the interview, as with his book, is the Alaska trip and the real-world lessons he brought back with him. He talks about the importance of research and listening to the experts, but also just trying things to see what works. With candor he says that his biggest challenge to date is getting and staying sober, but that from Gym Jones to the Alaskan Wilderness he continues to challenge himself in hard ways. Michael repeatedly returns to simplicity and “the Oatmeal rule” of getting back to the basics of what makes us healthy humans.  Links: “The Comfort Crisis” by Michael Easter Michael’s Real-Life Mountain Man, Badass Mom and Rucking Articles in Men’s Health “Why Humans Are Born to Ruck”  Donnie “Who We Are” Hunting Video Dr. Marcus Elliot and Misogi Learn more about GORUCK and Tribe Glorious Professionals podcast website

“The courage to say ‘yes,’ and let it change you.” Jason talks with Scott Campbell and Roger Sparks for Episode 040 about their chance meeting in 2010 in Afghanistan, how those experiences changed both their lives, and the overall power of tattooing. It is a raw and vulnerable conversation about grief, pain, memory and catharsis -- the role reversal of an artist dropping in to help rescue the rescuers. Scott Campbell never imagined he could be an artist, but happened into the hard trade of tattoo art and talks about how it commands your focus -- how each tattoo is a process of wanting to quit but seeing it through anyway. He traveled to Bagram in November of 2010 with Casey Neistat to try to “rediscover tattooing that mattered.” By happenstance, Scott met Pararescueman (PJ) Roger just after Operation Bulldog Bite and wound up tattooing Roger and his team as they began to process those events and the “grief inherited by people who project violence to solve problems.”  Scott talks about how humbled he was to be useful and how he found more meaning than he could have possibly predicted. Roger too was forever changed by their encounter -- not just the coordinates on his forearm and birds on his chest -- but by becoming a tattoo artist himself and discovering the catharsis and power of carving into skin. They both speak about the therapeutic benefits of tattoo and how their continued relationship continues to challenge and change them.  Links: Scott Campbell  Episode 035 - Roger Sparks “Warrior’s Creed” by Roger Sparks Operation Bulldog Bite Saved Tattoo Vlog by Casey Neistat Learn more about GORUCK and Tribe Glorious Professionals podcast website

“Service doesn’t require a great platform or require you to be the sole author of a solution. It is a humble task. And the only requirement is a love of people.” For Episode 39 of Glorious Professionals, Jason and Emily talk to Chris Long about the power and pressure of professional sports and using his platform in service to others. In an 11-year career in the NFL as a Defensive End, he was the 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year – considered by many to be one of the top honors in the NFL – for his charitable efforts. Chris has turned his transition to retirement life into a force-multiplying effort to give millions access to clean water through his foundation and it’s signature initiative Waterboys.  Despite coming from a football family (his dad is hall of famer Howie Long), Chris says he wasn’t initially good at sports and his parents hoped he would be knocked down enough to choose something else. Instead, Chris used his early challenges and his dad’s shadow as fuel to do “the repetition of hard work” required to excel. Chris was an All American Defensive End for the University of Virginia before being drafted as the second overall pick to the Rams in 2008. He speaks about dealing with the vastly more rock-bottom moments than highs in the NFL, especially in those early years. He also talks about the anger and conflict of the NFL and how his “life role model” mom Diane’s powerful example of fostering relationships and being thoughtful in service to others, along with his wife Megan, helped him deal with the spotlight and adversities of pro football in healthy ways. Chris’ extra grind through challenging years paid off, culminating in winning two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots and the Eagles before retiring in 2019. Throughout, he has quietly contributed to the communities where he played.  After a trip in 2013 to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, he and Megan began Waterboys and he formalized his giving into the Chris Long Foundation. Through efforts like Conquering Kili which joins NFL players and Veterans to summit Kilimanjaro, they have raised 1.3million dollars to build 24 solar-powered wells in Tanzania – with a goal to build 32, one for each team in the NFL.  Links: Waterboys and The Chris Long Foundation “The Way Up” - Waterboys Documentary film Chris’ Podcast “Greenlight with Chris Long” Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

110 Days, 3 Missions over an 11,000 foot mountain, 45 “Sensitive Items,” and 10 rather small donkeys For Episode 038 Rich and Jason are alone in the SCIF at GORUCK HQ for an oral history of Rich’s experiences in Operation Cyclone, also known as “Charlie Wilson’s War.” Rich picks up his story a bit where Episode 003 left off, just after his two tours in Vietnam, and shares what led -- from the fall of Saigon, to SAS Selection in Wales, to the first enlisted person in financial training in Indiana -- to working as a “cog” on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. While it might be helpful to have read George Crile’s book “Charlie Wilson’s War,” or have seen the movie starring Tom Hanks based on it, you don’t need to have to appreciate Rich’s tales. Briefly: in the 1980s, a Congressman from Texas named Charlie Wison made it his mission to secretly arm the Afghan mujahideen against an invasion by the Soviet Union at the height of the cold war. To hide American involvement, support went through Pakistan and was coordinated by an OGA (Other Government Agency aka the CIA) and came in the form of guns, ammo, medical supplies and eventually Stinger Missiles to take down especially Soviet Mi-24 Hind Helicopters.  This is not a typical “by, with and through” Green Beret ODA mission but a Cold War “OGA” Operation. Still it is a story about making a difference -- not a silver bullet but piece by piece -- and as Rich says “it really feels good to have done that.” Make sure to stay tuned for the “it’s a small world” kicker story in Fayetteville, NC.  Links: Glorious Professionals Episode 003 - Richard Rice and From Rich: Back in Vietnam “Charlie Wilson’s War” by George Crile Operation Cyclone Explainer FIM-92 Stinger Missile Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals Website

“Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own” — Bruce Lee Born in England on a farm, our guest for Episode 037 James Geering had always dreamed of becoming a Firefighter but was told because of color blindness he was unable to serve. James, now a podcast host, author and firefighter and paramedic of 15 years, joins Jason and Rich after a ruck on the Jacksonville Beach to talk about his winding road from lifeguard, to stuntman in Japan, to naturalized American citizen living his dream of service. James traces his work ethic and humility in training to his early martial arts training. The idea of using information and skills from different disciplines to constantly improve is now a common thread in his work. He continues to serve by using his platforms to educate the public through his lens as a first responder.  Throughout his career, he also witnessed a giant void in the area of First Responder wellness -- and is blunt about how the mental and emotional costs of service simply weren't talked about in his training or early years -- but the conversations are changing now. Some of those conversations happen on James’s podcast “Behind the Shield” and are chronicled in his book, One More Light, which takes readers through heart-wrenching stories that are coupled with a unique and mental health perspective about preventing tragedy and unnecessary suffering. An “incurable optimist,” James in One More Light ultimately leaves the reader with the hope that, with us at our best, we have a fighting chance to thrive in an uncertain world.  James talks about not just saving lives as a first responder but improving quality of life for those serving and all of us. James’ years of selfless service and dedication to humanity are two qualities we aspire to achieve here at GORUCK and we’re happy to welcome this Glorious Professional as our first firefighter to the podcast.  Links: James Geering of the Behind the Shield podcast One More Light by James Geering with foreward by Josh Brolin Glorious Professionals Episode 035 - Roger Sparks Learn more about GORUCK and Ruck Clubs

"These Things We Do, That Others May Live." Dr. Doug Kechijian (Dr. K) is a former Pararescueman, or PJ, in the US Air Force and now a Doctor of Physical Therapy and CEO / co-founder of Resilient Systems; he talks professionalism, procedure, self discipline, human performance and getting the call with Jason and Rich for Episode 036.  In his senior year at Brown -- not a typical military feeder school -- the events of 9/11 steered Doug onto a different path in medicine than the one he had been planning. He was particularly drawn to the mission of the PJs. Through his 13-year military service in the “911 of the military,” including being named as the Air National Guard's 2015 Outstanding Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Doug learned the importance of smart training, being really really prepared and strategies to cope with challenges (medical and otherwise).  Dr. K now works with athletes and operators at every level from Major League Baseball to the NCAA to Special Operations Forces. He has been featured in Men’s Health advocating for rucking along with other items from his “menu” of training (mobility, structure, power and capacity -- all with variety). He shares his philosophy of human performance and approach to physical therapy -- which is informed by his time at the tip of the spear so is grounded, accessible and a little different than most.  Links: Resilient Performance Systems Episode 035 with fellow PJ Roger Sparks and Bulldog Bite Explainer Episode 026 with Kelly Starrett Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals Website

Silver Star Recipient Roger Sparks joins Jason in Jacksonville for a raw Episode 035 about resolve and intentions. From his wild upbringing and early struggles with his physical limits, through diverse experiences in the tip of the spear of two military branches pushing his body and mind to aid and train others, Roger’s life focus has been to “grow mentally, physically and spiritually as much as possible.”  He used early struggles as fuel and with a learned perspective of both being a grunt and then training and leading men in the grey areas of war, Roger shares his stories about the “sex, violence and intimacy” of the military -- not to glorify war, but to understand it. He speaks about how in his 15-year career as a PJ, helping rescue and save others in both Alaska and deployed to Afghanistan, was deeply personal to and tied to saving his own son Oz. Now as a father and tattoo artist, GORUCK Tribe Cadre and Force Blue volunteer, he seeks to heal others to help heal himself. A gifted storyteller in his own right, author of A Warrior’s Creed, his current project is Backbone, a documentary series which strives to give “a voice to the struggle and hope for better healthcare for military veterans and civilians alike.” Links: Roger Sparks Instagram and more about Bulldog Bite Backbone Docuseries Warrior’s Creed by Roger Sparks and Don Reardon Chondromalacia Force Blue and GP016 with Will Hinkson (also on Force Blue) Papillon In Search of the Warrior Spirit The Way of the Peaceful Warrior Learn more about GORUCK and GORUCK Tribe Glorious Professionals podcast website

Dr. Ellen Glasser joins Jason and Emily for Episode 034. Dr. Glasser was recently re-elected as Mayor of Atlantic Beach, FL and has a long history of public service. She was sworn in as an FBI Special agent in 1982, one of the first 500 women to do so, and through her 24 years as “Agent Mom” this glass-breaking-badass served with distinction on high-profile cases from bank robberies to the Iran-Contra Investigation. She talks candidly about her drive to live an interesting life — as well as a thrill seeking streak — led to her success doing “unglamorous work” with the bureau; and how the sacrifices and big events (like her one and only shootout) because of those choices effected herself and her family. With such a breadth of career she has unique perspective on the culture shifts in the FBI, especially from being reactive to terrorism to having a more proactive stance -- which she saw directly as the Inaugural Coordinator of the North Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force after the September 11th attacks. After her retirement from the FBI she took a “clarifying” bike ride across America to benefit the American Lung Association which spurred her to focus locally for continued service to her community. Dr. Glasser’s dissertation focused on women in leadership and she taught in Criminal Justice at the University of North Florida and served as president of a national association of FBI agents -- while also mothering 4 children and 2 step-children. She realized through her research and direct work with students the importance of mentorship, something she felt was lacking for herself and many women especially in traditionally male fields. Now as Mayor, Dr. Glasser focuses on community ties and finding common ground outside of the partisan fray. Her focus on safety, attention to detail and drive to “not be last” continues to help protect community and country.  Links: Mayor Ellen Glasser The Iran-Contra Affair Explainer and Press Coverage from 1990 featuring Dr. Glasser’s Interview Skills The Oklahoma City Federal Building Bombing in 1995 Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

Medically Retired Green Beret Kevin Flike joins Jason and Rich for Episode 033. Kevin tells the story of his life of service up to and after his second tour as a combat engineer in Afghanistan in September 2011 when during a 10+ hour firefight he was shot in the stomach. He suffered a fractured hip, damage to his femoral nerve and was paralyzed on his left side. He medically retired and he, along with his wife Kimberlee, have fought ever since to recover and build a life worthy of his teammates. “Ask for help. Receive help. Give Help.” Kevin shares how his work ethic, drive and ideals of service and sacrifice were founded at an early age working for his father and playing football. He explains how these convictions led to his decision to join the Army at a time of war and earn his Green Beret. Since retiring from the Army, as part of his recovery, he’s earned degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the MIT Sloan School of Management. He talks about the hard transitions -- between deployments and through recovery and grad school. He describes his search for ways to live a life of service to others even when struggling in the darkest of places. Once a recipient of their help, one of the ways he currently gives back is on the Board of Directors of the Green Beret Foundation. Be sure to stay tuned for some surprised special guests who pop into the conversation -- proof that the journey has been worth it and also continues. “A life that’s easy, in my opinion, is not a life worth living.” Links: Kevin Flike on Instagram “Wounded by War” Documentary Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain Since the first GORUCK Challenge in 2010, GORUCK has been synonymous with the harder path. To push yourself, and to be pushed. To find meaning in the beauty of shared pain, to seek challenges that demand growth, to serve something greater than yourself. To be a part of a real community of people pushing each other a little harder. GORUCK Tribe is the next evolution of commitment — of mind, body, and spirit — to this harder path. Jason, Emily and Rich are together in the SCIF for Episode 032 talking about the impetus and meaning behind GORUCK Tribe, and what they hope it builds in our communities and world. Links: GORUCK Tribe Sebastian Younger’s “Tribe” and “Restrepo” Cadre DS and GORUCK Sandbag and Ruck Training Roger Sparks and “A Warrior’s Creed”  Learn more about GORUCK and the Rucker 3.0 Glorious Professionals podcast website

For Episode 031, Jason interviews Dr. Stuart McGill, CEO of BackFitPro and *the* expert when it comes to backs and dealing effectively with back injury and pain. Dr. McGill explains in simple, easily understood terms why proper adequate movement is foundational -- and rucking is so helpful --  to having a healthy back and spine. Dr. McGill was the Professor Emeritus of Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, where he was a professor for 32 years, the author of "Back Mechanic" and current CEO of BackFit Pro. He has worked with MMA fighters, NFL athletes, and Tier 1 Special Operations guys, just to name a few groups in a diverse lot.  Two years ago, before Glorious Professionals existed, Jason and GORUCK had the opportunity to visit his BackfitPro lab just north of Toronto, Canada and talk to him about his work. The result of that conversation is not only this podcast, but Dr. McGill’s knowledge and teaching has hugely impacted GORUCK’s thinking on rucking and human performance since.  In this conversation learn: how rucking is a way to help people with back problems and the “curious situation where backpacks can reduce spine loads” because the ruck acts as an extra muscle/lever; the biomechanical importance of slowly increasing weight and getting enough muscular rest; how sitting too much is detrimental and walking helps correct resulting pain; and the best progression for getting into rucking and rehabbing your back.  Links: BackFitPro “Back Mechanic: The step-by-step McGill Method to fix back pain” Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance by Dr. Stuart McGill  Mens Health Article on Rucking  GORUCK’s Rucking Primer and Jason’s Rucking “White Paper” from 2 years ago (mentioned) Dr. Kelly Starrett on Glorious Professionals Learn more about GORUCK and the Rucker 3.0 Glorious Professionals podcast website

Foster Huntington is a photographer, filmmaker, and adventurer who talks to Jason and Emily about creating his life off the beaten path on his own terms. The focus is on creativity and overcoming obstacles to intentionally choose your course - along with finding your natural talents - for Episode 030. Foster recounts his struggles with in formal education, beginning with a dyslexia diagnosis in the 4th grade through finding college just not for him. He found release and relief in the freedom of the outdoors as a kid. He then discovered the “fun” and his innate talents for photography and telling stories visually.  After a successful internship and 2 year stint with Ralph Lauren, Foster chose to leave NYC and the fashion world for his own created #vanlife - turning his blogging and book creation into the money to live the life of adventure on the road he wanted. He shares his thoughts about working for big brands at the boom of social media - he ran the Patagonia instagram account from zero to tens of thousands of followers - and the rise of “influencers.” Foster is blunt about how that life wasn’t and isn’t for him and the pitfalls he sees with social media now and moving forward.  Instead of trying to keep one-upping himself, Foster created a home-base in a treehouse, close to family and friends, to pursue his own projects including a new book “Off Grid Life,” stop-motion animation shorts, and a documentary.  Links: Foster’s Instagram “Van Life” and “The Burning House” by Foster Huntington “Off Grid Life” (Release: Oct 27, 2020) by Foster Huntington Foster’s Gear Patrol article on Ascent 2010 NYC Challenge Video Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

History is happening all around us, and it’s going to be OK. In the spirit of leading with transparency, since 2013 Jason has published a “State of GORUCK” blogpost for the community. He turns 2020’s post into Episode 029. You can read the full post, comment and ask questions HERE. The episode covers GORUCK’s evolution from 2019 to 2020 through COVID to the present with an eye toward the future including: revenue and net income year over year; contraction in Events but growth in community and Ruck Clubs; growth in the training side of the business with Sandbag and Ruck training and accompanying gear (like ruck plates); GORUCK Foundation (Java Forever) donations; and the launch of GORUCK Media including this podcast, “The Standard” a feature documentary on GORUCK Selection, and book launch (with more to come).  Jason also walks through the business of manufacturing and distribution — in the USA and overseas — and the decision to bring GR1, GR2 and GR3 production back to be built exclusively in the US beginning in 2021. There are other technological, tactical, training, event and gear announcements for 2021 and beyond.  “I choose this way of life, and I choose to fight for the values I hold dear regardless of outcomes. I do it because it’s a rewarding and fulfilling way to live this one and only life I have, and because my greatest fear growing up was a boring life. And this is definitely not boring, come what may. This journey would not be possible without your support, and I’m grateful to you all in this year 2020 and for all the years of my life. Thank you from sunny Jacksonville Beach, Florida.” — Jason McCarthy Links: State of GORUCK 2020 - Blog Post Jason’s Speech at Travis Manion Foundation and TMF 9/11 Ruck & Run Video  “The Standard” Documentary on GORUCK Selection Emily’s Instagram Learn more about GORUCK and SRT (Sandbag and Ruck Training) Glorious Professionals podcast website

Dave Castro rarely speaks of his service at the tip of the spear but the imprint of those years of training to excellence is apparent in everything he does -- especially at the CrossFit Games.  “The past that I speak so little of is so foundational for who I am.” In Episode 028, with Jason and Rich, Dave discloses a few of the missing pieces of his winding journey starting with “The Rock” and leading to leadership in the Navy as well as CrossFit International.  Dave grew up on “The Ranch” in California and while he was involved in athletics and martial arts he never excelled. Always a “self-directed” researcher he stumbled onto the challenge of becoming a Navy SEAL and he dropped out of college (against his parents’ wishes) and chased the goal with single minded focus wondering “do I have what it takes?”  With self knowledge and the reflection born of being both recruit and trainer, Dave talks about the mindset and mentality of getting through BUD/S and other challenges. Dave made the deliberate choice to not put his SEAL experiences up front in the early days of working for CrossFit while still active duty as a BUD/S instructor -- a decision which makes some still surprised to learn he was a SEAL. He served 12 years as a SEAL yet the quiet professional ethos is so ingrained, details are not forthcoming about his service through multiple deployments on elite Special Operations Teams. The lessons and values Dave holds from his years of service, however, are clear: holding yourself to a high standard; constantly training and pushing; walking the walk; and being willing to be humble, start over and work your way up.  He attributes his success out of the military to his mindset of “not ‘be impressed by what I’ve done,’ but ‘let me impress you by what I can do.’” Dave lays out his narrative about the source of the edginess he brings to CrossFit as a sport -- especially at the Games -- and the crossovers between Teams and CrossFit: teamwork, community, discipline and always training/honing your craft with care. Links: Dave Castro and The CrossFit Games “The Rock” “Rogue Warrior” by Richard Marcinko Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

Jason, Emily and Rich do a team check-in of sorts for Episode 027. They discuss COVID and learning from history about “unusual times” particularly with regards to schooling; adaptation and sacrifice; the tensions of community and personal responsibility; having self-discipline; and lessons of leadership. The team also gives a peek behind the curtain of the state of GORUCK with an overview of current status and a preview of upcoming rollouts and initiatives with a constant eye on being active and building strong communities. Links: NY Times Article “Schools Beat Earlier Plagues with Outdoor Classes” “On Living in an Atomic Age” by C.S. Lewis “Polder Model” (Public Debate in the Netherlands) Sandbag and Ruck Training and hear more from Cadre DS in Episode 017 (Bio) and Episode 018 (Training)  GORUCK Clubs “How Not to Start a Backpack Company” by Jason McCarthy Glorious Professionals podcast website

Dr. Kelly Starrett distills his years of accumulated knowledge to lay out the basics for “playing the long game” of life to build better individuals who build better communities.  In a far-ranging Episode 026, Jason and Rich cover a lot of ground with Kelly from his origins in the mountains of Germany to the origins of humans and back. In his new iteration and focus on maintaining a The Ready State for an active, long life, Kelly talks about the “unsexy basics” of optimal health: sleep, movement, eating whole foods, doing preventative maintenance, and having a tribe/team/clan/community of like minded people with you on your journey. As he says, “we are hardwired to need people.” Kelly is most well known as the Supple Leopard (based on his first book) and mainstreaming if not inventing many of the buzzwords like “mobility” that surround functional fitness (which he apologizes for). He advocates for using movement -- particularly loaded movement (aka rucking) -- as a diagnostic tool to optimize what our bodies are naturally built to do. Kelly says that “pain is information for change” and this conversation lays the groundwork to tapping into our bodies’ natural ability to adapt, a little bit at a time, to perform better for longer.  Kelly weaves his information with humor and stories from his time working as a rafting guide, as a competitive athlete paddling whitewater slalom canoe on the US Canoe and Kayak Teams, as a physical therapist for professional athletes and now as a father facing down 50. Along with his wife Juliet, Kelly is co-founder of The Ready State, the next evolution of his years of teaching, coaching and producing content on optimized movement and self-care.  Links: The Ready State E.O. Wilson “Muscles and Meridians” by Phillip Beach and Leon Chaitow “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand “Deep Nutrition” by Kate Shanahan  The Fan Dance Race Series (SAS Selection Challenge) The Soft American - John F Kennedy GORUCK Star Course GORUCK Blog: Dr. Kelly Starrett on Rucking for Longevity Glorious Professionals podcast website Learn more about GORUCK

For Episode 025, Florent “Flo” Groberg shares his very American stories of service, sacrifice, family, and the four men who are forever linked to his life.  Flo talks with Jason and Rich about his upbringing in France and family in Algeria, the long line of warriors and patriots he comes from, including his adoptive father Larry Groberg who has his own interesting stories of struggle and international adventures. Flo speaks earnestly about what excited him most about coming to the US, the differences in lifestyle, and his rage over the 9/11 attacks -- just 5 months after he became a naturalized citizen -- ultimately leading to his decision to finish what he started at the University of Maryland (where he ran track and cross country) before following his calling to join the Army.  Flo was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and 2012. He explains the events of August 8, 2012 in Asadabad, the eeriness of the day and the “scripted feeling” of walking patrol en route to a high-level meeting when a man approached strangely. Only after tackling the man away from the patrol did Flo realize he was wearing a suicide vest which detonated and killed Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Griffin, Air Force Maj. Walter David Gray, Army Maj. Thomas Kennedy, and USAID foreign service officer Ragaei Abdelfattah. Flo’s actions -- his 8 seconds of courage -- spared many others. Flo himself was badly wounded and spent the next three years recovering and undergoing surgeries at Walter Reed Medical Center and was medically retired in July of 2015.  On November 12, 2015, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award. Flo has dedicated his life to being a courier of the medal and the stories of the men lost. He speaks about that mission, the responsibilities of a public life, his wife Carsen, and how he uses reading and understanding history to deal with his trauma and the loss of the career he loved, all with his deep love and patriotism for America and the people who serve her values and missions. Links: Flo Groberg “8 Seconds of Courage” by Flo Groberg and Tom Sileo Attack in Asadabad Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website

Jimi talks about the early days of CrossFit and gives his secrets for building and shepherding communities particularly as part of a growing business.  Episode 024 is part two of Jason & Rich’s conversation with Jimi Letchford who wound up at the launch of the rocket ship that became CrossFit International. Episode 023 follows Jimi’s first career in the Marine Corps. This part picks up where they left off, his discovery of CrossFit before separating (the first time), through his continued life of service as a trainer, affiliate and corporate type at HQ.  Jimi talks about the unique, hands-off, grassroots franchise business model which relies so much on a quality product with communities built around real meaning. Jimi shares his struggles in the traditional corporate world and his insights as a “behind the scenes guy” building relationships and getting back through giving.  Of note, we recorded this episode prior to the former CrossFit CEO’s remarks that (rightfully so) led to his resignation. Our focus in this conversation is to talk about how Jimi helped empower and grow the CrossFit community from the very earliest days. Jimi is a father of 5, Naval Academy Graduate (class of 2003) and has re-enlisted in the USMC reserves at 4th Force Reconnaissance Company based out of California.  Links: Jimi Letchford Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website

Episode 023 is Part One of Jimi Letchford’s conversation with Jason and Rich about his life in service. Jimi is the former Director of CrossFit International and a Marine Infantry Officer. This part focuses on Jimi’s early life and then career in the military. He explains how wrestling and a well-placed jet led to a single-minded focus on the Naval Academy, and then injury derailed his dreams of becoming a SEAL and a chance meeting turned his focus to the Marine Corps and becoming a Lieutenant in the Infantry and tip of the spear in Iraq. Hear about his 9/11 story, training and mentors, pre-deployment wedding, a rather harrowing “wake-up call” to stay vigilant, loss, getting news about his first daughter’s birth while in Iraq, and how the “gung-ho” award winner uses his military lessons and training to approach leadership through giving and subordinate leadership. Jimi is a father of 5, Naval Academy Graduate, class of 2003, and was a friend of Travis Manion’s, whose family carries on their son’s legacy at the Travis Manion Foundation. He is currently the in the reserves at 4th Force Reconnaissance Company based out of California. Episode 024 (Part 2 of this conversation) is focused on Jimi’s work for CrossFit creating strong community bonds in addition to building the brand globally.  Links: Jimi Letchford The Marine Corps Values The Travis Manion Foundation Abu Ghraib and “Route Michigan” (satellite) Cpl. Richard “Ricky” Waller Learn more about GORUCK  Glorious Professionals podcast website

For Episode 022, Jason and Emily talk with Chad Malone about his experiences as a Black man growing up and living in America, raising his own children in Washington DC, and his perspective on the current race-related uprisings. Chad is open, educated and candid not as the voice for his community but as one who has struggled to find his voice and now uses it to tell his and his family’s stories as a window into broader Black communities and experiences.  Chad is a proud graduate of Howard University, holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from George Washington University and works in healthcare in Washington, DC. As a Physical Therapist who goes above and beyond for his clients, he loves his work because of the people he meets and the opportunity to help them as he hears their stories. He’s the owner of Capital MMA & Elite Fitness Lorton and is a leader in MMA, Jiu-Jitsu and athletic spaces in DC. He is known and beloved in the GORUCK community as roster 006 from last year’s Selection. And yet, with all his accomplishments as a husband, father and Glorious Professional, he does “not expect to get fair treatment in this country because I know that the color of my skin will have direct implications on how certain people will judge me.”  While these types of conversations can be uncomfortable, Chad advocates for their importance in holding up a mirror to our realities, helping those who have been and are hurting because of injustices, and bringing about necessary change on personal as well as national levels. Links: Capital MMA & Elite Fitness Lorton The Great Migration Tulsa Race Massacre “What’s My Name | Muhammad Ali”  HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) GORUCK Selection Learn more about GORUCK and our One Team, One Fight Initiative  Glorious Professionals podcast website

Ben Bunn joins Jason and Rich in studio — also known as the champagne room — at GORUCK HQ for Episode 021. Growing up in the Tampa area, Ben was the last person anyone would have pegged as a future Green Beret. He took an unexpected and interesting route to active service in the military and quite literally grew into his future roles in the Army and Special Operations, growing 3 inches and putting on 50 pounds during his first deployment. From High School pranks to thoughtful, strong leadership in his hometown communities, this “Team Room style” conversation covers his life of service in and out of uniform, entrepreneurship and life as a small business owner, and listening, training and dealing with challenges and the changes of the present moment with honesty, bravery and hard work. Ben founded Cigar City CrossFit in Tampa, FL which he has worked hard to build into a strong community and says “is not a place, it’s a people.” He also works with nonprofits, small businesses and entrepreneurs as a consultant, and recently joined Bravo Sierra personal care products. Through all this and his many roles in the military up to and including as Platoon Leader, he maintains his hardest job to date is being a father. Links: Ben Bunn 1st Lt. Brandon Landrum  Cigar City Crossfit Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

Senator Joni Ernst joins Jason and Emily for a conversation focused on service for Episode 020. Senator Ernst is the first woman to represent Iowa in Congress and the first female combat Veteran elected to the United States Senate, and she shares some of her story and perspective with an emphasis on bridging divides and “serving this great country” and communities in various ways now more than ever.  Senator Ernst grew up on a farm in Red Oak, Iowa and enrolled in ROTC while at Iowa State University. She served 23 years in the Army Reserves and Iowa National Guard, including a deployment in 2003 to Iraq and Kuwait, before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2015. Throughout she served in various capacities in her local communities before being elected to the US Senate in 2014. She is the recently published author of “Daughter of the Heartland,” and her daughter Libby is currently a Cadet at West Point. She is known for rucking with her staff and constituents in DC, and even worn her ruck on the Senate floor.   In our conversation, learn how a trip to Ukraine in 1989 during the Cold War gave her greater appreciation for the US and changed the trajectory of her life. She also talks about the greatest lessons she learned in Iraq and answering difficult calls to duty back home. Most of all, Senator Ernst speaks to her values of hard work, listening, finding practical solutions, and advocating always that Americans should serve in whatever capacity they can because the US is a nation worth serving.  Links: Senator Joni Ernst Daughter of the Heartland: My Ode to the Country That Raised Me Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

Marjorie K. Eastman joins Emily and Jason for Episode 019. Marjorie served as a US Army Intelligence officer and commander, and she wrote “The Frontline Generation: How We Served Post 9/11”. Her ten years of post 9/11 military service include two combat deployments, one in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the other in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Their conversation covers her upbringing in a large family and how that shaped her character early; her choice to enlist after college and lessons she carried forward as a commissioned officer; how she broke new ground for women; dealing with loss and other challenges on deployment; defining herself in authentic leadership with her signature smile; and what she believes military veterans and others who serve bring home to their communities.    Marjorie, through her writing, speaking and charitable work, continues to sound the call for National Service — especially for women. She is the spouse of an Army Ranger, having met her husband Charles on a deployment to Iraq in 2003. She wrote “The Frontline Generation” to their son, now 8, as he battled and beat cancer as a baby. She credits her fortitude and resilience to her years on deployment, as well as being the spouse of one deployed, lessons born of serving something greater than oneself. “Someone else gave me this sweet privilege of freedom, to live my little life to the fullest. Someone else did. They gave their life for it. And I must never forget this. I must honor them, make a difference in my own way — and make it count.” - Marjorie K. Eastman Links: Marjorie K. Eastman “The Frontline Generation” Cpl. Chris Coffland Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

Cadre DS, aka Dan Skidmore, is back with Jason and Rich in Episode 018 to talk about training. The previous part of the conversation (Episode 017) covered in more detail DS’s history and high level of physical preparedness as an Air Force Combat Controller. In this part, he dives deeper into how he trains, the origins of becoming a coach while on deployment in Afghanistan, his methods of inspiring more people to be active together, and the GORUCK Sandbag & Ruck Training program. Post military service, Cadre DS was a CrossFit and endurance competitor as well as coach to athletes of all abilities. He focuses on strength plus endurance - ready for anything - especially lifting odd objects and building overall work capacity outside the pristine environment of a gym. Training yourself is different from training others and DS talks about that evolution for himself and how he continues to be inspired by those he teaches. Throughout, with his “hard-charger” energy he pulls the lessons from his own training and deployments, from the DEAD diet to self discipline to MILES, to show others what they can do, build better teams and teach others to train to be tested. Simple, but not easy.  Links: Cadre DS Garage Gym Workouts with Jason GORUCK Team Assessment Ep 014 - Ryan Manion, President of Travis Manion Foundation Learn more about GORUCK Sandbag & Ruck Training Glorious Professionals podcast website

Cadre DS, aka Dan Skidmore, joins Jason and Rich for Part One of their conversation for Episode 017. Part Two will focus on training, while this part focuses on DS’s history: his progression from paintball battles in the fields of Ohio, to attachment to teams in the mountains of Afghanistan as an Air Force Combat Controller, to now GORUCK Director of Training and a fitness entrepreneur in Morocco.  In their conversation about mindset and maturity, DS discusses how he used his physical fitness and readiness as a baseline but Special Operations requires so much more to be a valuable member - and leader - on a team. He talks candidly about his development as a person and professional, his triumphs and the setbacks which he turned into opportunities for learning. And the 3 veterans have a hard conversation about remembering and honoring those lost on the battlefield, helping those struggling at home, and dealing with deaths by suicide. Throughout, Cadre DS speaks about the importance of learning the “when” in addition to knowing the “how.” Links: Cadre DS “Danny” Sanchez Mark Forester Foundation Learn more about GORUCK Training Glorious Professionals podcast website

For Episode 016, Jason and Rich talk to Cadre Will Hinkson about going through transitions, perceptions versus reality, and the importance of finding an individual “why.” Will’s competitive nature - and some good advertising - led him to become a Reconnaissance Marine on the scorching rooftops of Iraq. Later during a security contracting gig in Kabul he started a side-gig which became the first CrossFit affiliate at an embassy. That experience shifted his focus to people-centered business and he returned to start a successful gym stateside. Will talks about what his veneer of success and relentless pace was covering however, and how he eventually got a wake up call via another commercial to fully transition to a more fulfilling, meaningful life.  “Establish your why and chase it relentlessly. When you know why you’re doing something, and you have your core values and mission in place, do not let anything stop you.” Will shares the story of how he answered an unexpected call by a buddy and found himself serving in a new capacity: as a dive team member at Force Blue, a non-profit which unites the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine conservation. Will also uses his skills to help others as the creator of Scale Through Impact, a leadership consulting company which provides resources and community support to small business owners. Links: Will Hinkson “Contest of Honor” - Marines Ad SMEAC “Mercy, Love, and Grace” Trailer and Full Documentary Scale Through Impact Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

Chris Voss, the former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI, author of the best-selling book “Never Split the Difference,” founder of The Black Swan Group, and currently THE Negotiations expert on MasterClass joins Jason and Emily for Episode 015. From the streets of Kansas City to NYC, the Philippines, Georgetown and quarantine, his stories and life lessons are in the true spirit of Glorious Professionals.  “Life is a series of negotiations you should be prepared for: buying a car; negotiating a salary; buying a home; renegotiating rent; deliberating with your partner.”   In this conversation, get a slice of Voss’s 24 years with the FBI and his basic operating principles on getting ahead, dealing with failure, continuing to learn, tactical empathy, communication, and most importantly practical advice for persuasion and negotiating in every day situations - particularly now in an even more online and changing world.  Links: Chris Voss Voss’s “Never Split the Difference” Chris Voss Teaches the Art of Negotiation on Masterclass Dos Palmas Kidnappings Operation Eagle Claw Back Swan Blog/Email Newsletter Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

“If not me, then who?” - 1stLt Travis Manion, USMC  The mission of the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) is to unite and strengthen communities by training, developing, and highlighting the role models that lead them. Ryan Manion, TMF’s President, joins Emily and Jason on Episode 014 to tell the story of TMF - a non-profit her mother started after the passing of her brother Travis in Iraq on April 29, 2007.  Ryan co-wrote “The Knock at the Door” as a personal history as well as a roadmap for “those with the courage to love others” to navigate the loss of a loved someone too soon through any type of tragedy. In this episode she shares the impact of her parents and upbringing in a military family; her 9/11 story and how it altered the course of her life; her own “knock at the door” and her family’s response; what “character isn’t cancelled” means; how TMF as a grassroots, bottom-up organization empowers veterans to continue to serve especially now during a pandemic; and overall what it means to be vulnerable through tragedy and “struggle well.” Links: Ryan Manion Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) Marine Corps Marathon Ryan's book “The Knock at the Door” Colonel Manion's book “Brothers Forever” Ryan on CBS Sunday Morning  “If not me, then who?” - ER Staff Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

On Episode Lucky Number 13 is Lieutenant General (Ret) Kenneth Tovo, a Green Beret who most recently served as Commanding General of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) before retirement in 2018 after 35 years of military service. General Tovo joins Jason and Rich to dive deep on his hard-won lessons of leadership, particularly through a gripping oral history of a quintessential Green Beret mission: Operation Viking Hammer at the outset of the Iraq war in 2003. In his detailed account, learn why it is also called Operation “Ugly Baby,” how the links only tell a tiny slice of the story, and how the General really came to understand that plans are meaningless but planning is priceless. General Tovo’s operational assignments include the First Gulf War, Refugee relief in Northern Iraq,  Noncombatant evacuation in Sierra Leone, Peacekeeping in Bosnia (twice), 5 tours in Iraq, and 1 tour in Afghanistan. He was Jason’s Group Commander at 10th Special Forces Group in 2007 and they are both now on the board of the Green Beret Foundation.  General Tovo has cultivated a deep self awareness which he uses to carefully choose his team, effectively lead, and at least try to pass his lessons borne of experience to others. This episode is rife with his leadership lessons, especially through transitions and unexpected environments, which are as applicable in business as they are on the battlefield.  Links: Lieutenant General (Ret) Kenneth Tovo Robin Moore’s “The Green Berets” Operation: Viking Hammer Linda Robinson’s “Masters of Chaos”  Green Beret Foundation Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

For Episode 012, Jason and Emily are joined by Ambassador Elisabeth Millard, a career diplomat in the Foreign Service who most recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. Ambassador Millard led a full life of travel before and during her storied career and she talks about the role of foreign service officers; starting a career “later” while finding family and job balance; her priorities as Ambassador to Tajikistan; her approaches to leadership; and the “secret” of the Foreign Service Exam. Ambassador Millard is a naturalized US citizen who served State Department roles in Prague, Copenhagen, India, Nepal, Morocco and Kazakhstan as well as two stints at the White House. From 2016-17 she served as the US Ambassador to Tajikistan, in Central Asia bordering both Afghanistan and China. Her parents were both medical doctors, her late husband Captain Millard was a Naval Intelligence Officer with 30 years of service. She is a mother and grandmother who continues to serve her adopted country with distinction. Her life and family exemplifies servant leadership that is at the core of what this podcast is all about, and it’s an honor to have her on the show. Links: Ambassador Elisabeth I. Millard “I will not forget the hospitality of the Tajik people” Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

Coco Tang has traveled the world as a Nationally Registered Paramedic and a DOD-trained Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) instructor, and she is currently on contract working the night shift in New York City treating COVID-19 patients. She joins Jason and Emily for episode 011 to talk about the similarities and differences in her medical mission work from Africa to Afghanistan to here at home. Their conversation covers her ground truth at the epicenter of the current pandemic, her unique perspective as a Chinese American in the time of COVID, tales from her trips abroad, and what drives her to serve and help others in some of the most challenging spots around the globe. Coco was born in Fushun, China - not far from the North Korean border - and moved to the US when she was 12. She is a naturalized US citizen who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and has a working proficiency of Arabic, German, Russian, and Japanese. In 2013, she moved to Jordan as a Fulbright Scholar to conduct academic research on ISIS and Syrian refugees. During that time, she began volunteering medically at the refugee camps. Since then, she has worked all around the world including: community outreach initiatives in Sierra Leone during the height of the Ebola crisis in 2014; the Nepal earthquake response in 2015; and Syrian refugee camps in Greece and Iraq. Last year, she led humanitarian and medical assessment trips to the remote mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia and to the Democratic Republic of Congo due to another Ebola outbreak in South Kivu. She most recently returned from a medical deployment in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Links: Coco Tang GORUCK Events Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

In Episode 010, Jason and Emily are joined by expert Linda Mansolillo to talk about disaster preparation - be it wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, or a global epidemic. Linda is a biotech strategist with 24 years of military service, currently a medical officer in the Air Force Reserve, and is also a mom. Through projects like LadyBugOut she focuses on bringing disaster preparation and implementation strategies home to our primary community - our families - and most especially our children.  Even if you don’t have kids, you can learn key strategies for dealing with emergencies including making preparations a lifestyle (including designating in advance “who makes the call”), the importance of staying calm getting factual information, and focusing on what you can control. Linda advocates for empowering kids of all ages to deal with disaster and life through age-appropriate discussion, decision-making and responsibility. This episode is primarily about leadership in crisis and spending the time to slow down and really communicate with our home team. Links: Linda Mansolillo LadyBugOut Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

Our guest on Episode 009 is Dr. Rajeev Ramchand. He joins Emily and Jason - after a decade lapse in contact - to help us understand the COVID-19 pandemic better using an epidemiological lens and to educate others about where we are and where we are going. Their conversation covers the basics of epidemiology, the data we have and how to make it better, historical comparisons, and what most concerns him moving forward - namely this is only a “trial run” pandemic and we need to shore up our public health infrastructure and personal communities to deal with the next ones. While he has a fairly different background than our previous guests, his passion of serving others with research and building stronger more inclusive communities, makes him a true Glorious Professional.  Dr. Ramchand holds a PhD in Psychiatric Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins, and studies mental health particularly in active military and veteran communities. He’s currently a fellow at the Bob Woodruff Foundation. With his “big brain” resume, he is finding fulfillment not only strengthening ties to his own communities but also using his deep knowledge combined with a love of performance to educate others through a series of YouTube Videos about epidemiology.  Links: Dr Ramchand’s Epi Videos Dr Ramchand’s COVID-19 and Veterans Paper Johns Hopkins Map COVID Tracking Project Fivethirtyeight article on forecasting Visual Guide of Pandemics Through History “And the Band Played On” by Randy Shilts New England Journal article of COVID-19 prevalence in pregnant women