No Sh*t, There I Was

With the fall of Kabul, thousands of US Allies are desperately trying to make their way to sanctuary, away from vindictive hands of the Taliban. At this point, it is only a question of time, and No One Left Behind is racing against it to assist those who helped American Forces in getting to safety. This is how you can help in this crisis.

I interview Brian Lutz, a former Army Pilot and current writer for Duffel Blog, a military satirical news website. We talk about communicating hilarity, storytelling, and making veteran experiences approachable to everyone.

The release of the Fort Hood Report is a significant event in the history of the US Army. The impacts of the findings are recommendations have not yet been realized, but that is not stopping Scott Stephens from taking proactive steps to build a culture capable of preventing Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment by shifting the narrative and focus of the real problem. Listen as we talk through how he is accomplishing this difficult work.

Scott is a Research Scientist at University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) and has been a part of developing a COVID-19 vaccine there. We discuss the virus, vaccines in general, and some questions around the vaccines being administered today to help inform and empower folks to make the best decision they can.

The Civil-Military divide is something many people talk about, but not many have an answer of how to close it. The real answer probably isn't as sexy or easy as anyone would like. It's millions of  conversations between veterans and civilians that help relate the military experience and bring our society closer to the realities of their fighting force. Rob talks about how to find a middle ground with the people vets won't think will understand and how to start trying to share your stories in a way people will understand.

The subject of leadership is chock-full of “fresh ideas” which are just old lessons retold with a different spin and “experts” who have more anecdotes than a backwoods preacher. That is why it is refreshing when you find research-based concepts that challenge dusty, dogmatic beliefs in this 366 billion dollar industry. Charn McAllister joins to discuss the positive outcomes of likeability and why leaders committed to serving their subordinates must understand politics.

Combat Flip Flops was born of an opportunity to help others and create the conditions to truly improve the lives of those who live in some of the most difficult places to feel safe and secure. That opportunity might not have come about unless the guys who seized had served in these kinds of places. Matt Griffin talks about how his experiences helped prepare him to build this company on a foundation of serving others.

Ben was Special Forces Alpha Team Leader, on deployment in Afghanistan, when he stepped on an IED. A moment that irrevocably changed his and Gina’s lives. They tell about their experiences leading up to, through, and in the wake of this devastating injury. Their journey is amazing and their strength is awe-inspiring.

I think we all have this type of person in our lives, you know, the creative person who is always birthing incredibly clever ideas out into the world at every stage of their life. For me, that guy is Mike Nemeth. I’ve known Mike since my first year at West Point, and he has been churning out hilarious, interesting, and inspiring projects since we met. Mike’s leadership and nerve through the pandemic have been exemplary, so much so that I needed to interview Mike to bottle some of it up for everyone. We talk about failing, struggling, picking up, adapting, and executing violently even in uncertainty.

John is a former Special Forces Officer with a long list of accolades and incredible assignments, among them is time spent on the White House Staff of the, then, Homeland Security Council. We discuss the current pandemic through that lens, as well as the multitude of leadership lessons that will be learned as a result of what has happened. Filled with incredible stories and lessons learned, this is a prescient episode.

Sometimes people with very similar experiences come away with different outlooks, it's no different with war. In this episode I talk with a fellow veteran about our experiences in combat and how that brought him to an anti-war stance. It's an important conversation to have and I know you'll agree.

The stories of the people around us are many times the most captivating. Come listen to Bill Kemp, a two-tour Vietnam Veteran who got to see the country both on foot in the Infantry and from the Air as a Helicopter Pilot. His stories are absolutely incredible.

Clayton Hinchman is a natural born leader. We talk about the key ingredients that make him that, his story of losing his leg, and his path from a crater in Iraq to a thriving business career.

When Ryan Miller found himself wounded by a triple IED attack in Southern Baghdad, he couldn't have predicted that he would end up being an advocate for one of the most critical movements in Veteran treatment in recent history. Listen to his awesome story of resilience, persistence, and unexpected outcomes.

This is the history and the stories of Sam, my former interpreter from Iraq. This episode will cover his time as an interpreter in Iraq, a unique perspective of the United States' experience there after 2003, and his eventual immigration to the US. It's a powerful story with incredible insight.

This is the history and the stories of Sam, my former interpreter from Iraq. This episode will cover the rise of the Baathist Party in his childhood to the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad in 2003 as a young adult, telling the experience of an Iraqi through the major events of that timeline.

Imagine being jarred awake from a sleep you've waited far too long to get, only to find the 63-ton vehicle you're inside of is unexpectedly and uncontrollably careening down a hillside. That's the exact situation in which Ezra Maes and his tank crew found themselves in this incredible story told by Ezra himself. Listen to how this crew pulled each other through such a terrible event and how Ezra is excelling in the aftermath of this event.  

Mike was a member of the LEP Program in Afghanistan. This program brought experienced investigators to assist and advise in the fight against insurgent groups in Iraq and Afghanistan after realizing they behaved more like organized crime groups than a true fighting force. His stories of time in the NYPD and supporting NATO and Afghan Military forces are incredible.