Miller's Military Moments

. I have a great show today as we celebrate the lives of the crew that we lost when  their Blackhawk with the call sign Aerosmith 35 crashed due to enemy activity in Afghanistan. So strap in. volume up and lets go!  8 years ago In December of 2013 in Afghanistan 6 service members from B co 3-1 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1ST Infantry division paid the ultimate sacrifice in a helicopter crash due to enemy activity. Bravo Company along with the rest of our battalion was crushed. It is hard to imagine and understand how it really feels losing teammates. Immediately we felt sadness, grief, and anger. Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

I am sharing an interview with me when I was a guest on the Gabcast podcast. They gave me permission to share this with you all, and I thought you all might enjoy it! Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Season 3 is here with episode 1 providing an update as to what I have been up to and stories about rockets and mortars raining down on us! Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Veterans day special episodeMy first Veterans Day episode ever, but specifically as a retired veteran. What does Veterans day mean to me as a Veteran.  To start, it means commitment, sacrifice, heartache, happiness, stress, grief, family, but most importantly it means people. People I served with. People I live with like my wife and son, people I lived near at my various locations, family members of the people I served with, people that were effected by my decisions, people I lost due to our service, people I came across to include the citizens of Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt and New Orleans.   Commitment and selfless service are large parts of who I am as a Veteran. When I joined, I committed to my teammates, family, nation and to those that need my help and cant fight for themselves. I committed to doing whatever was necessary to accomplish the missions and take care of my teammates. I committed to providing for my family. I committed my heart, soul, and body to do whatever our nation asked of me. My family committed to those very same things. My family committed to me, the army, our nation and our family. So often the Army came first, yet there was my family committed to me, the army and our nation. So often, I had to work late, deploy, go way for training, and miss important family events, and not one time do I remember my family being truly upset. In fact, I think I was always more upset and my family always reassured me that everything was going to be fine.  Selfless service is my favorite Army value. To me it represented the fact that everything we do is for each other and the team. Nothing is about me. Physical training tests, weapon qualifications, annual BS training, maintenance training, additional skills to be a better teammate. That commitment again to do whatever it took to be the best teammate I could be. To me selfless service means Volunteering for the toughest assignments, giving it all I have on a pt test to show my teammates I have their back physically, offering my time, expertise, knowledge, and criticism to make sure the plan and execution was right. Right saves lives and accomplishes missions.   Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Short recap of season with a noted break before season 3. Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Hear Retired Col Dan Brue's transition story!Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

First Sergeant Bobby Thibault share his detailed story of what it has been like to serve in the Army during the Global War on Terror. Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Misty Moreno is a retired Air Force veteran that has successfully transitioned to the civilian sector. She put in the work, networked, reached out to for help and stayed patient. You too can have a successful transition to the civilian sector from the military. Not every transition is the same nor should it be. Misty shares her story and resources to help others prepare better and enjoy a successful transition.Misty is a Human Resources Business Partner with Continental, a wife, a mom, friend, author, and a leader. Did I mention "Rockstar?" She continues to do amazing things every day, but also finds the time to share her successes and failures in order to help others! Resources Mentioned in the showVets2PMMisty Moreno's Book"Get Your Shit Together"Misty's LinkedInInterested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Soldiers aren't serious all of the time. There are times we need to cut lose and joke around and laugh. Most of the time, it is at someone else's expense. Food seems to be a big part of our jokes, pranks, dares and shenanigans. Tune in the hear some funny stories! Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

China has quietly become the big bully in Asia. They take, take, and take with barely a peep from the world. China is very open about its long term plans and goals. They are very patient, calculating, and strategic. Foreign policy wise this puts us in a very tough predicament. China has built islands in the South China Sea and militarized them against all norms of international law. Their fishing boats regularly, with no regard to the Philippines', Vietnam's, Japan's, even Chile's sovereign economic zones, sail into their waters and fish. The world stays silent. Like many people do against bullies. Taiwan is not formally recognized as an independent nation although many of our policies treat it as such. This is a huge thorn in the side of the Chinese for many reasons. One issue is  how they appear to their people. Taiwan looks like a renegade province that is free from the Communist Rulers policies and has been since 1949. The fact that this is still happening makes China's ruling part appear weak to their people. Often, China is more concerned about how they appear than what the actual truth is. Why do we care?Grant and I tackle this subject in today's show. We dive into our legal and required support, and what we think would and should happen if China attacks Taiwan. After all, Taiwan is our ally. We want people to be aware of what is happening in the world that can impact us at home. Taiwan is one of those issues. People need to be aware. Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Suicide in the Military: Potential Causes and Prevention. Suicide in the Military is a tough subject, but one that will not go away because we ignore it or throw a bunch of money at it. If you are ready to listen to some real talk with truths most likely never before heard that may upset some in the DOD and government, keep listening.   I am Jayson Miller MSG Retired and the host of Miller's Military Moments. I have experienced suicidal ideations while on active duty, recovered, lost 4 teammates to suicide while several others were close. I am intimately familiar with this topic but am not any type of medical doctor. What I say is not to be intended to be medical advice or to override the directions of a doctor, therapist or anyone else licensed that is responsible for your care.  Suicide in the Military is on the rise. Again. We have been discussing this issue for years so it being on the rise is even more concerning to me. When I say discussing it, I don't mean mainstream discussions. I am referring to ancillary whimsical discussions that generate a little bit of money to research the problem and we move on. These American heroes are taking their own lives for many different reasons. I want to point out that every case should be investigated independently of another unless there are some clear and obvious related issues.   Questions people ask. Why? Why don't they seek help? Why didn't we see the signs? How can we know? How can we help them? Don't they know how important they are, how loved they are and how valued they are? Are they weak? Are they Scared?  I am going to answer those questions and more today.  Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

When you have skin in any game, you care about the outcome. If you are being charged lots of money for an event that lasts years and years, you may want that even to stop. I recently visited the national WW2 Museum in New Orleans. It is a must visit for everyone. Most of us know the end result, but the amount of details one can learn is incredible! War is expensive. WW1 and WW2 were both paid for by raising taxes and or selling war bonds. Some the tax rates were as high at 77 percent in 1918 and 94 percent in 1944. Yes you read that right. People would faint at those numbers today. Up until the 1980's the highest tax rates never dipped below 70 percent. Tax rates are important because our government figured out that if we are not paying for wars in drafted people but volunteers and no high tax rates or bonds, the populace won't care how long we are at war and how much we spend. The government made a calculated decision after the Vietnam war to be able to wage war whenever they wanted without the populace even caring. Although the war in Afghanistan was justified due to 9-11, I believe we would not have been there so long if our populace had to either sacrifice by being drafted or paying higher taxes. I am generally not in favor of taxes but war and other things are expensive. Maybe we wouldn't be almost 30 trillion dollars in debt if we had not borrowed all of the money for wars over the last 20 years. Paying money makes one have skin in the game. Skin in the game makes one care. Our populace has very little to no skin in the game, hence they do not care! Tune in for some staggering details from some of the things I learned while visiting the WW2 Museum in New Orleans.Wanna start your own podcast? Earn a dollar Amazon gift card after subscribing to a paid plan with buzzsprout! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Military Transition is maybe the most unique thing we do in the military. We are always part of a team with the same goals and often have the same duties and jobs in order to get the mission done. When it comes to leaving the military, no exit is the same. This holds true for today's guest Michelle Schopp!She is a retired Coastie (SP?) as we affectionately call them. Her retirement was different not only because of her branch of service, but also because covid was in full bloom when she was leaving the Coast Guard. She prepared as well as anyone could have considering the circumstances.  She is an inspiration to everyone that is preparing to leave the military. For example, she filed her VA disability claim  during the Benefits During Discharge time period which means she should have received her disability ratings at or near her official retirement date which was 1 September 2020. As of September 2021 she had still not received her disability ratings. 1 year later! Some how some way her attitude has remained hopeful, and  positive through this entire ordeal. She used every resource imaginable to assist her with her transition. I am including several links that were mentioned in our show as reference. Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), https://www.same.org/  Great for networking, especially folks in the AC & E CommunityOne to One Women Coaching, https://onetoonewomen.org/Life coaches, sliding scale payment options, and they have a team dedicated to transitioning military women and military caregiverPinto Leadership Solutions, https://www.pintoleadershipsolutions.com/Friend of Michelle's, retired Coastie, did a lot of leadership coaching before he retired and then started his own business. Gives a military discount, and will do $25 off a coaching package for anyone who mentions the podcastHives for Heroes, https://www.hivesforheroes.com/Non-profit organization who pairs veterans with skilled beekeepers in their area.Others:Hire MilitaryLocal Chamber of CommerceTop Resume (not sure if Hire Military is still using them, but when I linked up with them they had a free eval which I used)Dave Ramsey, and Financial Peace UniversityWanna start your own podcast? Get a 20 dollar amazon gift card when you choose a paid plan from Buzzsprout using the link below!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

I participated in my first Air Assault in Baghdad, Iraq in 2006. We delivered our customers on target on time. An air assault is simply us landing near the objective and letting the infantry out of the Blackhawk to go perform combat operations. Air Assaults are adrenaline pumping nerve wrecking events. So many things can go wrong. Yet, everything can go right. For us this one and many others went right. We planned and executed flawlessly. Not because we were lucky or just good. We trained hard for this. We learned from our mistakes and didn't make them again. We took pride in this part of our mission. This is what we were meant to do. No one wants to go to war. If war is necessary, lets find, engage and destroy the enemy and come home. Doing air assaults meant we were up close and personal to accomplishing those very things. This is what we signed up to do!From Apaches providing overhead cover, to fixed wing to even an AC 130 Spectre Gunship, this mission had it all. https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Interested in supporting me and this show? Subscribe to my Patreon to earn rewards while supporting me! My Patreon page allows you to subscribe at 1 of 5 different levels. They range from 1 dollar a month to 100 dollars a month. Each tier is named after an Army rank such as private Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, First Sergeant, and General! Each level provides you with rewards for your subscription https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments Wanna start your own podcast? Buzzsprout is the best Podcast Hosting site! I use Buzzsprout, love their services and their value. They make it really easy to start, learn and grow your show! Sign up with Buzzsprout today!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1539260Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Commissioned Officers that are resigning from their posts due to their lack of confidence and trust in their senior leaders is a national security crisis. Grant and I break down why this is such a big deal, while we tackle the systemic problem of our military becoming more and more political instead of Apolitical. The two recent resignations are important to note because of how close they were to retirement eligibility, and how much they gave up by doing so. Each gave up millions of dollars in life long benefits and financial security to finally stand up and tell their superiors that they are wrong. The Generals, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and the CIA Director are and were all wrong when it came to the capabilities of the Afghan National Army, The Taliban,  and the fact that we withdrew all security forces before our civilians. Not only were they wrong, but anyone that has experience in Afghanistan or near it over the last 20 years knew the Taliban would take over in a matter of weeks. Join Grant and I as we discuss what has led to bad information being given to superior officers, congress and even the President. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

This is maybe one of the most anticipated episodes from my experiences as a Soldier. Saddam Hussein was a passenger on my helicopter in 2006. YES! In the flesh, he was climbed in the aircraft on my side and sat about 2 feet from me. He was as defiant as ever. Saddam chewed on a unlit cigar while pointing at me and saying who knows what! We did not handcuff him or blindfold him as we treated him as a head of state. Some may find that difficult to hear, but we did. We often do try and do the right things in according to international norms. The preparation and execution of this mission was painstakingly difficult. The step by step process included about 40+ steps. The Commanding General was listening to the execution of the mission in case some thing went wrong. We executed it flawlessly,  but it was a pain in the ass getting ready for a mission that lasted about 7 minutes. After dropping him off, we went and picked up Chemical Ali and the other henchmen. Ali was dressed in cargo shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, flip flops like he was going to the beach! Tune in for the rest of the details! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Chris Peche, SSG (Retired), joined the United States Army prior to 9-11 and found himself assigned to the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (Old Guard) at Fort Myers. What an interesting assignment which can consist of guarding the Tomb of an Unknown Soldier, Funeral detail, Flag detail and many other tasks. All while they must maintain their infantry fighting skills.9-11 happened and he has some great never before heard stories of what it was like right afterwards in Washington, DC and the Pentagon. From performing guard duty to helping remove debris from the Pentagon, Chris was right there as a young Soldier. Soon afterwards he had the opportunity to reenlist and join Army Aviation as a CH47 Chinook Repairer/Crew Chief. All of his deployments were to Afghanistan. Chris spent some time in the Special Operations Aviation Regiment known as 160th SOAR! He honed his maintenance and leadership skills during those training and deployment opportunities. What a privilege to have worked with Chris and to have him on the show. This is just one of the "UNfiltered stories from real Military Members" that we share on this show!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

In 2006 we had a system called Common Missile Warning System (CMWS pronounced C-Moss) to protect us from incoming missiles. Shooting flares from the Blackhawk helicopter was an all too often scenario. Although this new system was computer controlled, the algorithm that told the system a missile was in bound was not very accurate. Due to this inaccuracy, we would often shoot flares for no reason while flying over Baghdad. Sometimes we even started brush fires after our flares hit the ground. We often scared the populace below with our random flares heading their way. Crew Chiefs had to carry extra buckets of flares to replace the buckets when they would get empty. We learned that changing them while the engines were still running, was not fun nor comfortable for the Crew Chiefs! Tune in for a few other funny stories regarding our CMWS! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

The military has some big challenges when it comes to filling their ranks with enough competent service members in the 21st century. The actual number that meets the basic qualifications is lower than most know or can imagine. The U.S. military depends on volunteers, and when the pool of eligible volunteers continues to shrink, our national security is at risk. There are 34 million people in the 17-24 year old age bracket. Only 10 million of those meet the basic requirements to join the military. Of course, not all 10 Million want to serve in our military. Two other statistics are very alarming and not just for the military. Almost 25% of the 17-24 year old age group does NOT have a high school diploma. Forget the military for a minute and think about that for quality of life for those individuals and future families. They are bound to struggle mightily in life. About 27% of the 17-24 year old age group is too obese to join the military.  You have heard it many times, but Americans are too fat to serve in the military. This problem is a lifelong health problem that will become a burden on our health system and society, not to mention hurt our readiness in the military. One statistic that is hard to measure is the percentage of people that WANT to serve in our military today. There is a lot of "Thank you for your service", which can equate to, "glad you did it so I or a family member didn't have too." Living the way we do is not free, and many others want to stop us from living with freedom. Freedom isn't free. Who is going to step up and pay the country that provides so much?Sourcehttps://www.thoughtco.com/us-youth-ineligible-for-military-service-3322428*updated 2 September 2021Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

We all remember where we were on 9-11, but where were we afterwards? I was in Basic Combat Training when the world was turned upside down. I share what happened, my thoughts and feelings at the time. The focus of this episode is on how united we were after 9-11, and how we can get back to that time. We do not dislike each other as much as our media or politicians portray us. Division is good for politics, but bad for the people. We need to get back to respectable discourse and talking to our neighbors. Let's remember JFK's quote:"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

I served with Ben Myers in my early days in the Army. 2002-2004. Although he was a Kiowa Warrior mechanic and I worked on Blackhawks, we still found ourselves around the same shenanigans sometimes. Who knows what a camo ball is? Listen to find out! Although my deployment experience in 2003 was challenging, he had a much different one than I did. He was much more forward than I was, and closer to the Kiowa's.Great stories and laughs with Ben Myers! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Ben Ford is a Former Royal Marine that joined Grant and I to  share his military experiences, and how they successfully  translate into the business world. He is the founder of Commando Development, a business consulting firm that helps organizations create and build cohesive teams. Ben also shares his thought on the Afghanistan withdrawal from his and England's perspective. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Military Transition is challenging. Even for a Lt. Col in the United States Army. I only bring up David's rank to show that if a Lt. Col of 23 years does not know much about transitioning and runs into challenges, everyone else below him will most likely have the same challenges. David had a plan and backups. His family was a big part of his decision to retire and complete the transition to civilian life. He started early, and asked as many questions as he could to anyone that he knew. He found the Soldier For Life Tap center, Veterans Affairs, LinkedIn, peers that were already retired plus a few other resources. David worked hard to earn the opportunity of an internship/fellowship called a Career Skills Program. Even though he did not take the job that was offered while he was an intern, he highly recommends every separating service member participate in one. His knowledge of resources coupled with his desire to help others made for an excellent show! David has opened up his connections on LinkedIn, and is willing to help anyone that needs. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Doing a Military Raid with special forces during the day was intense! We were trying to capture a high value target while waiting on confirmation that he was there. No shit, there I was flying inverted with a sling-load  while my air medal was slapping me in the face! Hyperbole  of course! Often that is how some of our stories start out! When I think back to some of these events, I do think that I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't there. We don't normally do air assaults during the day, much less with special forces. The special forces aviation assets were tied up as they operate mostly at night, so we got the call. The real time imagery of the landing area was so cool. We don't normally have the ability to get real time imagery. Most of the time our imagery is 6+ months old. The SF guys allowed us to raid their cupboard full of snacks too. The mission was intense as a flash bang went off right after we inserted the troops. Chalk 1 thought they were hit. Luckily they weren't. 30 minutes later we came back to pick them and the high value target up. No injuries for our guys. High stress, high intensity, attention to detail and overall a success. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

A United States Army Soldier shares his Military Transition story. Every military transition is unique and presents its own challenges, but this one is the most challenging one I have ever heard. Luke was confident that he would turn down any promotion in order to retire at the time that he determined. What he didn't realize was how easy it is to say that versus how hard it is to stick to that. The reason that is important to note is because when you accept a promotion in the military you incur a longer obligation to serve. Every service member transitioning  should start preparing as early as possible but no later than 24 months from actual separation. That is if you know your actual separation date! Luke went through a medical evaluation board, retirement application process, and at one point his pay was stopped because the Army finance system thought he was out! How would you react when your pay stopped at your job? Luke's story about his military transition looks like it will have a good ending, but we will all have to find out in the coming weeks. He shares important people, organizations, processes, tips and thoughts that have helped him get to this point in his transition. A must listen to for all service members before they transition! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

United States Army Soldier experiences are all unique. Jonathan Martin's are no different as shares his stories from his time in the United States Army. We worked together at Fort Riley, and the best thing about Jonathan was and still is his positive attitude. He is a Soldier that did not have a typical army experience if there is such a thing.  We are fortunate that Jonathan is willing to share his UNfiltered tory and experiences, so others can learn about what it is really like in the Army!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

3 Warriors, Jayson, Grant and Chris share their insights into the debacle of the withdraw that is transpiring in Afghanistan.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Helicopter Missions During the Superbowl in 2006 in Iraq. Early on in our deployment to Iraq in 2006, one of our sister battalions lost an Apache due to an accident. We were tasked to carry the crew to Kuwait towards the end of January. While in Arifjan, we needed to find some bikes! We were successful, and instead of getting one for one of our pilots, we got 8! The USO brought a superstar athlete and one of my childhood heroes! Bo Jackson! He happened to be in kuwait spending some time with the troops while we were down there! It was so cool! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

What an incredible opportunity it was to have Patrick on the show today.  He is a historian, public speaker, and bestselling author of 12 books and scores of films and documentaries spanning the American Revolution to the Battle of Fallujah. He is a leading expert on America's elite and special operations units. His latest book, The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delawareis a must read for every American. This book details how special our revolutionary patriots were, where our ideas of freedom and liberty originated, and the real sacrifices they made to win. There is so much more to the revolutionary war than throwing tea overboard and Washington crossing the Delaware River and winning! So So much more. We were able to discuss many parts of his new book plus one of his others "We Were One" about the Marines who fought in Fallujah, Iraq. The common theme he agrees with is the "will" of the American warrior has always been different than everyone else's. Find all of the information about him and his books on his website athttps://patrickkodonnell.com/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Flying our Blackhawks in and around Baghdad is a lot more complicated then just getting in a bird and going. We were flying way more than we ever thought we would or could. The Army actually has restrictions on how many hours you can fly a day, at night and how many days you can work in a row! Plus we had to perform maintenance on the aircraft while never dropping a mission. It was exhausting and chaotic over the first 30 days then we settled into our battle rhythm. The battle rhythm atleast gave us predictability but we are still exhausted. Tune in for details of our first 30 days and how we did it! One of the most amazing teams I have ever been a part of. Jayson Miller's Website Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Leadership with a retired Soldier and Former Marine. What else needs to be in this description? Nothing really, but I will add some anyway. Showing your teammates and or subordinates how to do something and showing them by example is one of the most basic but most important aspects of leadership. Lead by example! Creating influence is harder than people realize. Leadership is not just charisma with great motivating speeches. It is all about creating influence with those around you. We dive into details on how to do just that! Not just in the military, but we explain how you can utilize these same techniques in all aspects of life. Join us for a great episode on how create a culture of mutual understanding and positive leadership!Jayson's WebsiteGrant's WebsiteSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

The continuation of my story. The day that I recorded this happens to be my last day in the Army. July 31st. 20 years and 4 days of service. I share a small tribute and a few words at the beginning of this episode. In December 2005, we were in Kuwait and preparing our aircraft and ourselves for our upcoming deployment to Taji, Iraq. We were excited to do our mission but had no idea how tough it really was going to be. We prepared our aircraft, saw sand being imported into kuwait, and I had my crew chief seat stolen a couple of days before i was supposed to fly to Iraq. The Army issued us brand new M240's for our helicopters. What a fun weapon to shoot. We made it to Taji and went through our right seat/left seat rides with no issues. We were happy with our living conditions etc. Time for the mission, lets go!Miller's Military MomentsMiller's PatreonSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Two guests on at the same time. Two different branches of service. Army and Air Force. Two different stories. After the show, 3 good friends! Ricardo shares his story of being in the Air Force and working on drones and how the quality of life is generally better in the Air force! Now he is working for SpaceX. How cool is that?Dave shares stories from his early days in the Army in Afghanistan in 2003 and our early days at Fort Hood when we met in 2005. He started out as a mechanic and became a crew chief where he hasn't given up the crew chief life yet! Great show!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

I recently returned from Operation Hurricane Katrina Relief in September of 2005. I injured my back running during Physical Training and thought my flying career could be over before it really got started. We had to prepare our aircraft to deploy to include modifications which made the older Alpha models not very happy! We struggled to get them ready but we made it. Saying good bye was just as difficult as the first time. Not any easier. Different but not easier. Enjoy the show as we prepare to head to Baghdad, Iraq for 12 months of the hardest flying we have ever done to this point. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Was it the right time to withdraw from Afghanistan? Did we communicate well enough with our allied partners and the afghan government? Do we care that the Taliban are most likely going to take back over? Is that reason enough to stay? All that and more in this incredibly insightful episode. Grant a Former Marine and myself a retired Soldier discuss the mission success and failure, and what we think we could have done differently over the last 20 years. We appreciate our teammates and their families sacrifices during this war, but we want our citizens and politicians to utilize the military with more precision and approval. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Jon is a retired Blackhawk Pilot that also was a Crew Chief and flight instructor for new crew chiefs just like myself while he served in the United States Army.  He served in Germany, Honduras twice, Fort Hood, Savannah and Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington state. He has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times in an Assault battalion, medevac unit and as a pilot. Jon and I served together in 3-4 Assault Helicopter Battalion as part of the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade and 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas in 2005-2007. He was a Flight instructor that taught me how to be a crew chief. He also participated in Operation Hurricane Katrina Relief with me. He spends a lot of time talking about Katrina Relief in this episode and makes it a point to say how this event was one of his top experiences in the Army. Jon is an incredible Soldier, Leader, Teammate, and friend. I am proud to have served with him. America is lucky to have a selfless individual like Jon, and a family that supported him and our nation. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Transitioning from the Military to the civilian sector is hard and takes time. We were lucky enough to have someone like Cristian on to share his story of being an infantryman, to a human resources Soldier while working in an Active Guard position. That is also unique, but he offers great insight to many resources he successfully used during his transition. He is employed full time with the same company that he did his internship with before he retired. Yes, internship! Thats right, you can do that and he shares how to do it and the benefits of doing it! Tons of great info, so don't miss this one!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments)

Bringing you the unfiltered stories from my service as a Soldier in the United States Army. In part 2 of this episode, I share specific missions with you while we were in New Orleans during Operation Hurricane Katrina Relief. We rescued many people, and brought them to New Orleans international airport for evacuation. My crew located a dry route to the convention center so the busses could rescue the people there. We spent many hours delivering food and water to those that we couldn't evacuate. One night the tail wheel axle on our helicopter broke as we landed on the parking garage at the superdome! All of these stories and more!

Military Topics with Jayson and Grant. We take on current and challenging topics that effect the military and give you our takes on the issues. Today's episode is all about pride in our branch of service and time that we served. Grant and I are both veterans of the Global War on Terrorism. Grant served in the Marine Corps, and I served in the Army. Over the last few years, we have noticed that there seems to be less outward pride shown by us veterans as compared to generations past. We dive in to why we think this is, and what we can do to change it! Tune in for a great episode where a Marine and Soldier take on challenging topics.

The devastation in New Orleans was absolutely unbelievable. The video from the TV didn't do it justice. We were in a very busy time of our pre-deployment training, I was still learning how to be a crew chief. My company was supposed to go to the National Training Center in California right around the time that this happened. The rest of the company did go, but I was selected to go to New Orleans with several other crews and helicopters to provide any type of assistance and relief to the people of New Orleans. This was my first time ever doing something directly for the American people that I served. I was honored to be able to do it, but was shocked at the destruction. In this episode I share the prep and deployment to Baton Rouge along with our first few days in New Orleans. The logistics was challenging, but something we soon found out was how good our team really is and can be! 

Soldier Stories is all about bringing on other veterans so they can share their experiences in the military. This first episode, I had the privilege of having Clinton Shill on. He was one of my teammates while I was serving at Fort Riley. His experiences are totally different than mine, and offer great insight into the recruiting process for an "older" person with a family that is joining the military for the first time. I say older only because he was not 18 and right out of high school. Once in, it was a bit different than he expected but he always had a great attitude and just rolled with the punches. He decided aviation was not right for him so he had an opportunity to choose another job and did. He shares that experience with us as well as performing that job in Korea! Great insight from another Soldier!

What does a Blackhawk Helicopter Crew Chief even do in the Army? A lot more than hold on to the gun that sticks out of the window that is for sure. I have always wanted to fly and chose this job in the Army when I enlisted, and finally have the chance to fly with the aircraft as a crew chief. We have challenges during the summer of 2005 with standing up a new unit. We were the last company to stand up, C Co 3-4 AHB! Warriors, hence warrior airlines! Due to us being last, we received the oldest aircraft in the fleet to train with and prepare to deploy to iraq with in late 2005. Not only were we challenged with maintaining these aircraft, but we had to train a lot of new pilots and crew chiefs! Dive in to find out what we really do as crew chiefs and how I managed through the summer. 

Grant Belvin is back! He is a Former Marine Scout Sniper that joined me for 7 episodes in season 1 to share his story. He is back for season 2 as my co host and join me in discussing many different military topics. The first one is about the WWII Generation compared to The Global War on Terror Generation. Both are incredible, but there seems to be different perceptions of the two generations even among service members. Tune in to listen to us discuss their challenges vs ours. Hint! Neither is better. Just different!

Leadership. Leadership, Leadership, Leadership. We talk a lot about it in the Army. It is in the name of every Non- Commissioned Officer education course yet we fail to teach how to create real influence in these courses. As always, I share some solutions to go along with these problems. I also share what it was like going to this leadership course and being asked to lead a team through an open field to attack the objective even as an aviation sergeant! I learned how to lead a formation in drill and ceremony while marching them around, which I never used!!! Lots of exciting things coming up in the show! 

Military Transition is challenging whether you are retiring or leaving at the end of your contract. You need to have a plan, and execute it. You need more time than you can imagine to have a successful transition from the military. Its not easy, and no one is going to "give" you anything! Except for resources and tips on how to be successful! This episode with Henry Velez is awesome. He was a former medic that went to be a Special Operations Combat Medic in support of Special Forces for the last few years  during his time. Henry served for 10 years and decided to exit the Army and move on to the civilian sector. What he did not do is go into anything in the medical field! He used different transition resources and took his time to think about what he really "Wanted" to do versus what he could do or needed to do. He is a successful Commercial real estate finance professional in the Chicago area as he loves numbers. Listen to his story as he shares his transition journey and what tips and resources he has for you!There was some technical difficulty towards the end so there is some editing that had to take place but the important messages are there! Miller's Military MomentsHenry Velez's LinkedInhenrygvelez1@gmail.comMiller's Patreon

Going from a Specialist/E4 to a Sergeant/E5 in the United States Army is the toughest jump in rank. The amount of knowledge everyone expects of a Sergeant is incredible. I didn't know nearly enough when I first became a Sergeant, but did the best I could! I learned from others and my own mistakes.  Being responsible for people, their families and equipment takes on a whole new meaning!  I immediately had challenges dealing with a new female private and the new barracks program. I also had to lead maintenance activities with teams that were more knowledgeable on the aircraft than I was. How I navigated all of those challenges and more as we start hearing when our next deployment is going to be! https://millersmilitarymoments.comhttps://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments

The summer of 2004 me and my unit go through a lot of changes at Fort Hood. We finished with all of our vacation time, and started our "reset" time with our equipment and people. Friends leave the unit, new privates arrive, equipment needs to get overhauled and much much more. Our responsibilities change as seasoned veterans even though we may not want them too. Lots of challenges with getting the unit up and running again, not to much our personal lives. Many relationships didn't make it. Thankfully mine did. I earned a promotion to Sergeant which is the hardest transition to make in the Army rank wise. I went from being their friend to being their boss over night. Plus our unit was growing leaps and bounds as the Army was changing the size of our unit. What does that mean for us? Are we going to deploy again? Do we have a choice? https://patreon.com/millersmilitarymomentshttps://millersmilitarymoments.com

This is a brand new segment we are bringing to the Veterans and their spouses! This segment is called "Military Transition Tips and Resources". We were so lucky and excited to have VETS2Industry's CEO and Founder on today as our first guest. Brian Arrington is a retired Air Force Security Forces Airman who was just as concerned with helping others through their transition as he was about his own. Brian has built a team of 93+ volunteers that are ready to help and assist service members, veterans and spouses through their transition journey. His virtual networking event is every 3 weeks on Saturdays and as relaxed but beneficial as any you will ever attend! I know from experience. Their next one is 12 June which is why I am releasing this episode early! It doesn't matter if you are still active, a veteran of 10+ years or a military spouse. You can benefit from the FREE knowledge and FREE resources that they can help you find! Incredible episode that is worth its weight in gold!Vets2IndustryMillers Military Moments 

Pre show chat with some funny stories. Me and Grant usually had a good time chatting before we recorded the episode. I started recording everything because there are some funny stories. Enjoy!

Wow, what a start to this podcast! Season 1 was full of great stories about United States Soldiers going to basic training, Fort Hood, Iraq for a year in 2003, Swimming in Saddam's pool and much much more. Season 2 is going to be even more exciting covering my story from June 2004 to March 2007 which includes, becoming a crew chief, hurricane katrina relief, Deploying to iraq in 2006, episodes with soldiers that I have served with, episodes with veterans that have transitioned out and have tips and resources to share and much much more! Our website will be updated soon, and our Patreon page is live and going to provide even more content for you! I am excited for season 2. You should be too!https://millersmilitarymoments.comhttps://www.patreon.com/millersmilitarymoments

Readjusting to home after a 12 month deployment to Iraq. Lots of changes in my personal life and military life. Getting used to being at home with my family and making a new connection with my son. I attended my first and only military ball. The people in this unit were amazing. We got 30 days of leave and we visited the beach in florida and family and friends in Atlanta. Going home on leave is sometimes stressful because people want you to come see them and you end up being stressed out.