Podcasts about instructor pilot

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter!This inaugural three-part series of the Hangar Z Podcast was recorded on location at the Phoenix Police Department's Aviation Unit at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, as part of the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour. This year, our journey will take us to four agencies across four states, showcasing their exceptional work through print, video, and right here on the podcast.Events like this tour wouldn't be possible without incredible support. A special thank you to Airbus and Massif Flight Suits — your support made the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour a reality.The Phoenix Police Department's Air Support Unit has a unique structure  comprising of two distinctive details: Fixed wing and rotorcraft. We were fortunate to sit down with a representative from each detail to get a comprehensive look at the entire operation.Today's guests are Glenn Ellefritz, Chief Pilot for fixed wing operations and Scott Hopkins, Instructor Pilot for rotorcraft.As you might guess from this being a three-part series, you can expect a deep dive into a wide range of topics including Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) selection and training, pilot development, the recent addition of a second Pilatus PC-12, and the challenges of recruitment and retention. You'll also hear about the fascinating career paths of both guests.Stay tuned as we explore the Phoenix Air Support Unit's guiding philosophy of “Culture over Technology.”For more about our visit to Phoenix PD Air Support, be sure to check out the Brent Bundy articles in the Vertical Valor ASPCON edition and then watch the incredible videos by Lloyd Horgan on the Vertical Magazine YouTube channel.Thank you to our sponsors Dallas Avionics, Robinson Helicopter and Summit Aviation.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter!This inaugural three-part series of the Hangar Z Podcast was recorded on location at the Phoenix Police Department's Aviation Unit at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, as part of the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour. This year, our journey will take us to four agencies across four states, showcasing their exceptional work through print, video, and right here on the podcast.Events like this tour wouldn't be possible without incredible support. A special thank you to Airbus and Massif Flight Suits — your support made the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour a reality.The Phoenix Police Department's Air Support Unit has a unique structure  comprising of two distinctive details: Fixed wing and rotorcraft. We were fortunate to sit down with a representative from each detail to get a comprehensive look at the entire operation.Today's guests are Glenn Ellefritz, Chief Pilot for fixed wing operations and Scott Hopkins, Instructor Pilot for rotorcraft.As you might guess from this being a three-part series, you can expect a deep dive into a wide range of topics including Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) selection and training, pilot development, the recent addition of a second Pilatus PC-12, and the challenges of recruitment and retention. You'll also hear about the fascinating career paths of both guests.Stay tuned as we explore the Phoenix Air Support Unit's guiding philosophy of “Culture over Technology.”For more about our visit to Phoenix PD Air Support, be sure to check out the Brent Bundy articles in the Vertical Valor ASPCON edition and then watch the incredible videos by Lloyd Horgan on the Vertical Magazine YouTube channel.Thank you to our sponsors Dallas Avionics, Night Flight Concepts and Trakka Systems.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter! This inaugural three-part series of the Hangar Z Podcast was recorded on location at the Phoenix Police Department's Aviation Unit at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, as part of the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour. This year, our journey will take us to four agencies across four states, showcasing their exceptional work through print, video, and right here on the podcast.Events like this tour wouldn't be possible without incredible support. A special thank you to Airbus and Massif Flight Suits — your support made the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour a reality.The Phoenix Police Department's Air Support Unit has a unique structure  comprising of two distinctive details: Fixed wing and rotorcraft. We were fortunate to sit down with a representative from each detail to get a comprehensive look at the entire operation. Today's guests are Glenn Ellefritz, Chief Pilot for fixed wing operations and Scott Hopkins, Instructor Pilot for rotorcraft. As you might guess from this being a three-part series, you can expect a deep dive into a wide range of topics including Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) selection and training, pilot development, the recent addition of a second Pilatus PC-12, and the challenges of recruitment and retention. You'll also hear about the fascinating career paths of both guests. Stay tuned as we explore the Phoenix Air Support Unit's guiding philosophy of “Culture over Technology.” For more about our visit to Phoenix PD Air Support, be sure to check out the Brent Bundy articles in the Vertical Valor ASPCON edition and then watch the incredible videos by Lloyd Horgan on the Vertical Magazine YouTube channel. Thank you to our sponsors CNC Technologies, Metro Aviation and SHOTOVER Systems.

Col. (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski '96 shares her insights on leadership, resilience, resurgence, perseverance, advocacy, and how she continues to serve her country, even after her military career. ----more---- A SHOW NOTE:  There are two ways to learn from Col. Malachowski's leadership journey. If you're short on time, the audio version delivers the highlights of her stories in 40 minutes. Her leadership bites, takeaways, keys to leadership and transcript are below. The video version is 1:46:00 and is well worth the investment of your time. This version includes stories and details about the Colonel's journey she hasn't shared before. Click the "Play" button in the video above and settle in for a most enlightening conversation.    SUMMARY Col. (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski '96 is a trailblazer who has broken barriers in both military aviation and advocacy. She was one of the first women to fly combat fighter aircraft, accruing more than 2,300 flight hours in six different aircraft and serving in multiple high-stakes missions, including Operations Deliberate Forge and Iraqi Freedom. But her story doesn't end there. As the first woman to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, a White House Fellow, and a key advisor on military and veterans' issues, Nicole's career has been defined by leadership at the highest levels. After being medically retired due to a Tick-Borne Illness, she turned her focus to advocacy, leading efforts to improve care for the wounded, ill, and injured service members through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program. Now a passionate advocate for Tick-Borne Disease research, Nicole serves on several national committees and advisory boards, including the Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.   NICOLE'S LEADERHIP BITES "Leadership is a journey." "The runway behind you is always unusable." "Don't think you have to be perfect to be a leader." "Believe those who believe in you." "Nobody wants to lead a scripted life." "Courage, compassion, and curiosity drive me today." "It's okay to admit when you make mistakes."   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK   TAKEAWAYS Leadership is personal - It's about understanding what motivates and drives each individual on your team, and tailoring your approach accordingly. Believe in those who believe in you - Mentors like Mick Jaggers who supported and encouraged Nicole were pivotal in her development as a leader. Don't write yourself or others out of the script - As General Matthews told Nicole, "Nobody wants to lead a scripted life." Embrace opportunities to dream big and take risks. Radical acceptance is key - When Nicole's military career ended unexpectedly, learning to accept the situation allowed her to move forward and find new purpose. Personal values guide your path - Nicole's core values of courage, compassion and curiosity have been instrumental in navigating life's challenges and reinventing herself.   CHAPTERS 00:00  The Journey of Leadership 02:01  Colonel Malachowski's Early Life and Aspirations 06:01  Navigating the Air Force Academy 09:46  Leadership Lessons from Soaring 14:07  Overcoming Challenges in Pilot Training 17:50  Key Leadership Experiences in the Air Force 21:59  Becoming a Thunderbird Pilot 25:47  Transitioning to Civilian Life 30:02  Advocacy and New Beginnings 34:09  Personal Values and Resilience 37:54  Final Thoughts on Leadership   NICOLE'S KEYS TO LEADERSHIP SUCCESS Leadership is a journey that requires growth and learning. It's okay to admit mistakes and seek help. Resilience is key to overcoming challenges. Personal values guide decision-making and actions. Mentorship plays a crucial role in personal and professional development. Failure is often the price of entry for success. Authentic leadership is about understanding and connecting with people. The importance of representation in leadership roles. Transitioning to civilian life can be a new beginning. Embrace opportunities and seize the moment.   ABOUT NICOLE BIO Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.) is a pioneering leader whose distinguished career spans combat aviation, military advocacy, and public service. As one of the first women to fly fighter jets, Nicole's journey included over 188 combat hours and multiple leadership roles, including F-15E Flight Commander, Instructor Pilot, and Flight Lead. She also made history as the first woman to fly with the USAF Thunderbirds. Throughout her career, Nicole demonstrated exceptional leadership, serving in high-level roles such as a White House Fellow and Executive Director of the ‘Joining Forces' program, where she advised the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden on veterans' issues. After being medically retired due to a neurological Tick-Borne Illness, Nicole transitioned to a new mission: advocating for service members, veterans, and others impacted by chronic illnesses. She's a leader in the national Tick-Borne Disease community, serving on key advisory boards and government committees, and actively mentoring wounded veterans through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program. Nicole is also a sought-after speaker, author, and consultant, sharing her experiences of overcoming adversity and breaking barriers to inspire the next generation of leaders. Her accomplishments include two master's degrees, induction into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame, and founding her own speaking and consulting firm. Today, Nicole continues to serve and lead, using her story to drive change and impact communities across the country.  - Adapted from Col. Malachowski's bio at nicholemalachowski.com   READ NICOLE'S FULL STORY HERE     CONNECT WITH NICOLE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM  |  NICOLE'S LINKTREE     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          ABRIDGED AUDIO TRANSCRIPT DOWNLOAD THE UNABRIDGED VIDEO TRANSCRIPT HERE  SPEAKERS GUEST:  Col. (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski '96  |  HOST:  Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   SPEAKERS Naviere Walkewicz, Nicole Malachowski   Nicole Malachowski  00:11 You know, leadership is a journey. We're always put into positions that we're supposed to grow into. Don't think you have to be perfect to be a leader. It's okay to admit when you make mistakes, it's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to have failures, as long as you overcome them. And I like to remind folks at all levels of leadership, you know that the runway behind you is always unusable. All you ever have is the runway that's in front of you.   Naviere Walkewicz  00:34 My guest today is Colonel Retired Nicole Malachowski, USAFA class of '96. Her career has been nothing short of extraordinary. Colonel Malachowski is perhaps best known as the first woman to fly as a pilot with the Thunderbirds, a singular distinction that set her path to reaching even greater heights. However, what you might not know is that her journey took an unexpected turn when she faced a sudden life altering loss of her place in the Air Force. The challenges that followed were extreme and personal, but through them, Colonel malikowski demonstrated a resilience and strength that not only transformed her own life, but also empowered her to help others with their own struggles. In today's conversation, we'll dive deep into the personal and professional journey that led her to transition to civilian life, the lessons she learned from the hardships she faced along the way, and how she now advocates for others, sharing the wisdom she's gained from the tough battles she's fought and won. We'll also take a look back at her time at the academy, her experiences as a pilot and the leadership principles that have guided Colonel malikowski, she has become a powerful voice for resilience, perseverance and leadership, and I'm excited to hear her insights on all of these topics. Colonel Malachowski, may I call you Nicole?   Nicole Malachowski  02:34 Yes, please.   Naviere Walkewicz  02:34 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, and thank you for being here.   Nicole Malachowski  02:37 Thank you for having me.   Naviere Walkewicz  02:38 It's a pleasure. It truly is. I think one of the things that's so exciting for our listeners is really getting to know you. And you know, I think there's no question about who you are in the media, I mean, all the things you've accomplished, but some things that are most special is when we just sit down and kind of get to know you behind the scenes.   Nicole Malachowski  02:53 Indeed, let's do it.   Naviere Walkewicz  02:54 So let's go back to even before the Academy. Where did you grow up? Where are you from? And what were you like as a little girl?   Nicole Malachowski  03:00 Sure, yeah. So I was actually born in central California, in a town called Santa Maria, and I was born, I consider very lucky, because I was born a woman in America, so there was a lot of opportunities, you know, afforded to me. Also very lucky to be born into a solid, you know, middle class family, you know, I was a kid who always had a roof over my head and food on the table, which makes it a lot easier, right, for you to seize opportunities and to be your best. And think it's important that we acknowledge that not everybody is born into that position. And so I was very, very lucky, I will tell you, I was definitely the loner, definitely an introvert. Always have been. A lot of people would be surprised by that, but I am a solid INFJ on the Myers Briggs, but as a young kid, just very quiet, kept to myself. I was very much a dreamer, very curious about things, so I loved to dive into books. I loved school. I was the kid that would take my lunch box, you know, out into the middle of the football field by myself and just stare up at the sky and the clouds moving by, and dream about things. I remember being in the Girl Scouts during junior high we moved down towards Southern California, where I learned about Civil Air Patrol, and then from there, in high school, we actually made a big move to Las Vegas, Nevada. I continued my time in Civil Air Patrol as a cadet, but also joined the Air Force Junior ROTC at my high school.   Naviere Walkewicz  04:16 I'm just drawn to this visual of you with your lunch box in the middle of the football field looking up at this guy. So were you dreaming about flying?   Nicole Malachowski  04:24 I was, you know, I went to an air show when I was five years old, and I remember seeing an f4 phantom fly by, and it flew by so low, and it was so loud, I had to cover my ears. And I remember, like, my chest rumbling, you know, the smell of jet fuel. And I remember thinking, man, like there's a person in there, like, I want to be, you know, that person. And I had come from a family that, you know, honored and respected military service. So both of my grandfathers were career military my father had been drafted into the army during Vietnam. So I knew that, like, you know, military service was honorable and noble and good. And when I discovered that that was a military plane. I remember as a kid putting one plus one is two. I'm like, wait, you can fly jets and serve in the military. That's what I'm going to be. And wow, that was around 1979 and that's right, there are no boundaries on things. So looking up at the sky, watching planes, and of course, in high school in particular, moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, because Nellis Air Force bases there. So, I mean, I would watch the red flag launches and watch how those jets fly. And of course, I would see the six ship of Thunderbirds flying by as a kid, thinking that was pretty cool. So to be honest, I set my sights on the Air Force Academy in elementary school.   Naviere Walkewicz  05:34 Oh, my goodness.   Nicole Malachowski  05:35 Yeah. So when I was five and decided to be a fighter pilot, you had decided, I mean, I was maniacally, maniacally focused. I did not have a backup plan. I am so lucky that things worked out because I have no idea what else I would have done, you know, with my career, but I remember in sixth grade, I wrote a letter to the Air Force Academy. They responded. The admissions office responded with a personalized letter letting me know I'm kind of young to apply now, but here's the application process. They sent me a whole bunch of Air Force Academy swag, and that was it sixth grade. I was going to the Air Force Academy, goodness, when you were actually old enough to apply. Now to the academy.   Naviere Walkewicz  06:13 Let's talk about that process. What was it like for you? Well, I mean, I think it was more exciting than anything else. I told you. I had stayed maniacally focused. I was very particular and organized about prioritizing how my application would look. So of course, I strove to have the good grades, and obviously stayed involved with the activities like Civil Air Patrol or participating in sports like running cross country and track, as well as doing, you know, community service type activities. So I was indeed focused on making sure that application looked good. I remember the thing I was probably the most nervous about were those interviews with your, you know, senators and your representatives, and wondering if I was going to be able to interview well. So I was, you know, putting my best foot forward. And I remember my senior year, it was approximately October, maybe coming up on November about this time, right? And I went to the mailbox to get the mail, and I had the application had already been in, right? Because everything was done before the fall, and I saw this giant envelope from the Air Force Academy. And I thought, No way, because it's only like October or November. And I started shaking, and I opened it right there at the mailbox. I had to go up the street. I opened it, and I feel bad because I think I littered like the envelope all over the street, but I remember opening it up, and the first line was, congratulations. You know, you've been accepted to the class of 1996 and I instantaneously just started crying and running as fast as I could back to my house.   Naviere Walkewicz  07:38 Had you been to the Academy prior to the acceptance?   Nicole Malachowski  07:41 No, never stood a foot on at all. And I remember when my parents came to drop me off for for Jacks Valley and everything basic training, when we came up over that hill, over Monument Hill, and you can see the chapel and the kind of imposing, you know, white buildings on a hill, I was like, Oh, wow, that's extraordinary. And I was really just excited. People ask, were you nervous that day? I was not, because I was just so happy that this, to me, was like the first step of the rest of my life. It was that first real step towards this goal of serving my country, you know, like people my family had, and getting to fly jets while I do it, how cool is that? I don't remember any highs or lows. I do remember I got my enjoyment becoming a cadet, you know, soaring instructor pilot.   Naviere Walkewicz  08:28 So let's talk about that. That is a, kind of a key leadership role as well.   Nicole Malachowski  08:32 Yes, that was my leadership role. So my senior year, I was the cadet soaring squadron commander. Oh, let's talk about Yes, yes. So obviously, between freshman, sophomore year, I signed up as soon as I could, you know, to take soaring, and when I discovered that you could actually apply to be a soaring instructor, and I remember that was a really like growth experience, because it's one thing to be able to fly a glider, it's another thing to be able to try to teach somebody how to do that. And I really, I I give a lot of credit to this, you know, sorry, instructor upgrade program teaching me the skills of, how do you communicate something technical? How do you communicate something hard, this idea that you need to be able to communicate it not just in one way, but two or three different ways, because each of your students is going to come at it with a different skill set or a different perspective or a different personality that responds to different type of teaching. So learning how to tailor your instruction and your care and your leadership to each individual was something I learned here, you know, as a sophomore, this idea that I would carry that on into my career as a leader and, you know, ultimately into being, you know, a fighter squadron commander. This tailored leadership actually started here, but soaring is what was my respite. Soaring is where I refilled that tank. It's one thing to be successful yourself. It's a whole different level to teach somebody else to be successful.   Naviere Walkewicz  09:55 So you knew you enjoyed Well, obviously you enjoyed the flying? And soaring, the leadership aspect, I think, was something that was new to you then. Or had you done that in Civil Air Patrol? Did you also have leadership there?   Nicole Malachowski  10:06 Yeah, I had leadership experience in Civil Air Patrol, but I think this was a different level. You know, my senior year becoming the cadet soaring squadron commander, it was really cool, because not only were you trying to take inputs from your peers and your colleagues on things we could improve or do differently, you know, valuing the other cadets opinions. But how do I translate that to leadership? How do I go now and talk to the real officers, the active duty officers in charge, and go, these are maybe resources we need, or things culturally, you know, that we need to change, and that was hard for me, you know, because I had never done that before. How do you advocate for your peers in a way that's understood, you know, by the active duty leadership. So that was really something that, again, would become important in my military career, because when you're put in a leadership role, you know, it's about, I think, advocating for the people who you are, you know, accountable for and responsible to, yes, and so how can you do that and do it in a way that it's received? Well, yes, you know, by the leadership above you,   Naviere Walkewicz  11:07 After you graduated from the Academy, you went on to pilot training.   Nicole Malachowski  11:11 I was slated to go early right after graduation, and I was a casual status Lieutenant flying gliders. Of course, went out for a jog and broke my ankle. So this would be my first kind of little, little detour. And I ended up, they offered me to go, to go to shepherd a lot later, or as soon as my ankle was healed, I could go to Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi right away. And I said, I gotta go, like, I cannot sit around and wait. I want to go to Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi. And everyone's like, what you're going to turn down, like, the chance of going to fighters to like, have to fight for it at Columbus. I like, I can't be stagnant. I need to go. So showed up at Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi, and again, really grateful for all of the flying experience that I had. I think that just those foundational procedures, you know, foundational knowledge, was vital to being a little more comfortable than other people that didn't have that experience. It was easy to be slightly ahead of the curve early on, but as I like to tell people, I fell flat on my face across the starting line my second check ride in pilot training, I failed. Now, pilot training at that time was about a year long. There were about 10 check rides, and at that time, failing one check ride, statistically, traditionally, would take you out of the running for graduating high enough to be a fighter pilot. This was devastating to me, and I remember even having fleeting moments that night of like, maybe I should just quit. Now this is, of course, the youth in me, right? I'm a 21 year old kid, and I'm just getting a little bit emotional about it, but if I can't be a fighter pilot and I just knock myself out of the running, I should quit. And I didn't call my parents because I didn't want to tell them I was too, like, embarrassed maybe, to say, like, hey, my dream that you all have supported is about to come to an end, because I messed up, and I made a really junior varsity mistake. And so I called my mentor, Sue Ross, and then she just let me talk, and she's like, are you done? And I'm done. And she goes, Well, are you going to do that again tomorrow? And I said, Sue, how am I supposed to get back in the jet tomorrow? How do I face my peers? I've been telling them I'm going to fly strike Eagles this whole time. Like this is so embarrassing. What if I fail again? What if I fail again tomorrow? And I remember, she talked me off the ledge, man, you know, and I came away. I came away with that conversation, realizing that indeed, I think I rarely believe failure is the price of entry for achieving something great, because if you have the right mindset, you come away with failures, I think a lot more committed, a lot more dedicated, a lot more focused, and I think a lot more humble, and all of those characteristics and traits are good things. You know, it worked out for me, and I did finish fourth in my class, and I had an extraordinary class. It was a time of great cultural change in the Air Force, because we were the first group of women to come through pilot training with the option of flying fighter aircraft.   Naviere Walkewicz  14:04 So talk about your time while you're in uniform. You had some key leadership positions. You were squadron commander. Can you share some of your stories with that and maybe even some high points and some lessons learned, where you as a leader felt that maybe, maybe it was a low point or a failure, but you grew from it?   Nicole Malachowski 14:20 Sure, sure. Yes. I mean, I had so many, you know, different fun assignments. You know, obviously when you're in your first fighter squadron, I got out at RAF Lake and Heath out there in England. I mean, what a rage right to be a lieutenant flying strike Eagles at 500 feet, 500 miles an hour, up Loch Ness, to live in the dream, you know, becoming in my second squadron, which was at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, becoming a, you know, flight lead and upgrading to instructor pilot. Very nervous to go into the instructor pilot upgrade. I went in very young. In fact, when I got to that squadron, the weapons officer said, hey, I want to put you in the instructor upgrade. And I was like, no. Away like I am not ready for that. I am not good enough for that. And I was new to the squadron. There were people technically older and more experienced than me. They were in the queue, and he wanted me to jump the queue, a guy by the name of Michael Jaggers, call sign, Mick, I'm still friends with him to this day, and I remember I avoided him. I avoided him like the plague because I did not want to upgrade to instructor. And I remember saying, Mick, I just am not sure I can do this. And he looked at me, and he said, it's not your job to get through it. It's not your job to get through it alone. It's my job. It's my job to ensure you have what it takes and what you need. It's my job to teach you to be a good instructor. So your success is going to be my success. I will not let you fail. What a glorious man, what a wonderful instructor. And the lesson learned here to people is this, believe those who believe in you. Believe those who believe in you.   Naviere Walkewicz  15:52 It's true, though it really is. And those people, I think sometimes your trajectory can change or just like, accelerate, because someone gave you a little bit of courage that you just needed that little piece.   Nicole Malachowski 16:03 And to learn as I gained experience and credibility how to replicate that and how to be that person for other people, right? Because it's about turning around. It really is about lifting up other people. Your success isn't your own. It's how can you help other people achieve the best of themselves? And that's what you know Mikey and Mick did for me. And of course, the rest, you know, being history, because then I had the credentials I needed to apply to be a Thunderbird. And then from the Thunderbirds, I could become a commander, yada yada, you know, but being an instructor pilot, again, in the F 15 e how extraordinary to teach a brand new pilot or WSO, not only to fly the aircraft, to how to employ it as a weapon system and then to turn around and go to war with them. There's no bigger honor. There's nothing, I think, more humbling than that.   Naviere Walkewicz  16:49 Can you share something that maybe you learned from the perspective of how to lead better?   Nicole Malachowski 16:55 So let's be honest, when you go into a fighter squadron, things are a little bit one note, right? I mean, we all are cut from a similar cloth. We all kind of have similar personality traits. You know, you don't want your fighter pilots any other way, putting the effort into understanding what drives and motivates individuals. So learning at that age how to put your arms around everybody that you're responsible for, not just the ones that maybe are easiest to lead, or maybe the ones you're the most comfortable, you know, interacting with as a leader is, how do I figure it out? You know, there were some guys that, if I were to call them on up to the front of the room, in front of the whole squadron, to compliment them on something they did, maybe a check right they had. Or this goes for my fighter squadron command as well. You know, they would love it, right? Because it it was how they were extrinsically motivated, and that's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. If that's what they need, and that's what you need to do to get the best of their strengths and best of their commitment go for it. And then were others that low? If I were to bring them in front of their peers to compliment them, they would shut down and never talk to me for the rest of the you know, their assignment. And so that's where I would take the time to write a handwritten note, maybe put it on the seat of their Humvee, or put it in their helmet, you know, in the fighter squadron. And then when they'd see me walking down the hallway, we give the knowing nod that they were acknowledged for their awesome, whatever it was, and we would move on.   Naviere Walkewicz  18:13 Yes. And so what I'm hearing, in a really, kind of summarizing way, is leadership is personal.   Nicole Malachowski 18:19 Very. it's all about people and it's about authenticity and connections.   Naviere Walkewicz  18:25 So speaking about personal and authenticity, I'd be remiss if we didn't talk about your journey to the Thunderbirds.   Nicole Malachowski  18:31 I knew this was gonna come.   Naviere Walkewicz  18:32 It's here, and so you know it is. It's a different time. There was no woman Thunderbird pilot before you.   Nicole Malachowski 18:40 I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, so the Thunderbirds were part of the backdrop. I knew that the Thunderbirds, you know, as a kid, were special and were considered, you know, elite. And kind of going back to my personality, I love being told that, you know, you can't do things. And the truth is, people laugh at this, but the truth is, when I applied to be a Thunderbird, I did it because the way my career was going, I wasn't ready to, I wasn't on timeline to go to ide yet or to go to ACSC, but I had, like, a weird year kind of gap, and I didn't they didn't really know what to do with me. I didn't know what to do with them, and my husband was going to be PCs in the Nellis. This is, like, a true story. Wow. I know people want me to say, well, I had this big, long dream when I was Thunderbird. Also thought about it was always in the background. Is something that, you know, wasn't, was an option. And I, you know, because of a lot of people who put a lot of effort into me, I was indeed qualified, you know, to get in there and to give it a try. But it wasn't something that was like an ultimate goal. I did not know they had not had a woman Thunderbird pilot when I applied, did not even occur to me. Remember, I had never known an Air Force without women fighter pilots in it. That's right, that's and we had all achieved the age where we had acquired the hours needed, and it just lined up with the timing. And I'm like, Well, that would be kind of fun and different to do. And. So I always tell people, you know, when you get those butterflies in your stomach that says, This could be something cool, something different, that is your cue to go do it. Don't worry about what anybody else is saying. And so, you know, I was able to put that application in. And in fact, I was I put that application in, and when I went and told everyone I was going to apply, generally speaking, people were really tickled and happy and happy and supportive. But as the days went by, people started to think about it. I heard, you know, it's too hard to be a Thunderbird, you probably won't get picked. I mean, statistically, no one gets picked to do that. They've never had a woman before. Are you sure you want to do that and this and that? And I remember the day I turned my application in. This was back when you still had hard copies, and you still had to mail them, okay, 2005 took it over to the group commander's Chief of Staff, slid it across the desk. I was super nervous, because the voice in my head was like, Nicole, other people become Thunderbird pilots, not you. That was the other people become Thunderbird pilots, not you. What are you doing? Why are you risking this? But I kept thinking, what's the worst that's going to happen? I don't get picked, like most people don't get picked, and I go back to flying strike Eagles with my community, which I love, like life is good, right? Either way, it's a win, win. So as I slid that application across the desk, said, I'm applying to be a Thunderbird. Here's my application. I remember the staff looked up to me and said, you know Nicole, It's hard to be a Thunderbird. You know Nicole, you probably won't get picked. And the exact words were, you know Nicole, they've never had a woman before, and the colonel can only stratify one person in that moment. Let's, I think there's leadership lessons here, because this person was not trying to be mean, right? What was coming out was, I think the unconscious bias all of us have to check ourselves on every day at all ages. I think what was coming out were the cultural paradigms of the Air Force at that time. And I think what was coming out, you know, were other people's expectations about what I should or shouldn't be doing. And in that moment, the truth is, I grabbed my application and I took it back, I went across to the officers club and grabbed a beer like any good fighter pilot would, and I remember thinking, thank God I didn't put myself out there. Thank God Nicole, you know, now I'm a 30 year old captain, so I'm still a young person, you know. Thank God you didn't risk failure. Who are you to think you could be a Thunderbird, silly girl, right? And in that moment, the weirdest thing happened. And I tell this story on stage, sometimes the door opened to the officers club, and in walk the Wing Commander, Brigadier General Mark Matthews, for whatever reason, comes over and starts talking to me. Now, this is weird, right? I'm a captain. He's a brigadier general. I don't know why he was talking to me, you know, like walking amongst the people that day, or, you know, just making small talk. And so I'm trying to hold my own talking to him a little bit nervous. It's a little you're probably still feeling a little bit down from totally down. And in that moment, over walks my squadron commander, a wonderful man by the name of Dan Debree. His call sign was, trash. Get it? Trash, debris. Trash. Walks over, super excited, very supportive of my application. And he's like, Hey, General, did you know Nicole's applying to be a Thunderbird now? Man, I mean, you could have slowed down time. I was like, ixnay on the underbird Fae like, this is terrible. Neither of these guys knew that I had removed my application. And Dan's standing there all proud. He's my squadron commander supporting me. A great man again. And Mark Matthews looks down at me, general Matthews, and he goes, that's great. How's your application going? And I'm like, I looked at him, and here's what happened. I said, you know, sir, it's hard to be thunder, but I probably won't get picked. They haven't had a woman, so I don't want to waste anybody's time.   Naviere Walkewicz  23:11 Oh, you said, I said it.   Nicole Malachowski  23:13 I said all of it. And this is kind of an embarrassing story to tell, but I'm just this is the truth, right? This is the vulnerable truth of how this happened. And and he looked down at me, and I will never forget this. And I hope folks listening who have big dreams and gnarly goals remember this. He looked down at me and he said, Nicole, actually. He said, Fifi. My call sign, Fifi. Nobody wants to lead a scripted life. And he walked away and left me in extraordinarily uncomfortable silence. And those words nobody wants to lead a scripted life have become my life's mantra. Every time I get the knot in my stomach that says that dreams too big or that idea is too innovative, don't rock the boat, I remember what he said, because those words, like they lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders, told me it was okay to dream big. It was okay to buck the status quo. It was okay to be different. He was telling me, it's okay to risk failure in pursuit of personal professional growth, and it's not so much. I think he's telling you and me to write ourselves into the script. What he was saying was, don't ever write yourself out of the script. And as leaders and teammates, don't you ever write anybody else or their wild ideas out of the script, either. And so nobody wants to lead a scripted life. And I, I hope what you're hearing in these stories, and maybe what I'm realizing just chatting with you, is these little turning points, these pivot moments where these really important people, the mark Matthews, you know, the Mikey whiteheads, the Mick Jaggers, the Sue Rosses, the Kim Jamesons, they all come at that right moment. You got to be open to that you know, and and how important your actions and your words are to making or breaking somebody else's journals.   Naviere Walkewicz  24:48 Yes, yeah, so you took that application back.   Nicole Malachowski 24:52 Sure did. Sure did. I did not get the number one stratification from the colonel, but I did from the general. And. So that worked out for me. When I really started thinking about, I think I was putting myself back in the kid in high school with her brown bag lunch out on the football field watching the Thunderbirds fly over that can tend to see that those six jets smoked behind in red, white and blue, screaming over your high school. You know, you wanted to be a fighter pilot. Since you're a kid, I'm staring up at them, thinking, there's people up there. You know, I want to be one of those people. This idea that there would be a little kid watching me as a Thunderbird pilot, and maybe someday go, maybe I could fulfill whatever my dream is. Maybe I could join the Air Force too, a little girl going, maybe I could be a fighter pilot someday. And I think the gravity and the weight of the mission of the Thunderbirds started to really impact me, because it had indeed impacted me as a kid, and the idea that I could be a part of that. And I think the other thing was, and maybe this sounds cheesy or trite, but it's not, you know, sitting at Al UD, drinking my one beer at three in the morning after I land from my night combat mission, sitting with all these great Americans from all over the country, from every different background, and thinking, I could go tell their story, and that's what Thunderbirds get to do. You get to represent the world's greatest Air Force and tell the stories of these airmen who are out there getting the job done, those tech piece those crew chiefs, you know, the folks that are working at the tower, the folks in the food hall, our medical professionals, the cyber the whole thing, right? And all of a sudden it got really exciting to me, like I could go out there with this team, with this mission, and we could represent our friends with the honor and the dignity and the respect that they deserve. And I think those two things kind of collided together, and I started getting really excited about excited about this Thunderbird thing. Ended up back at Lake and Heath painfully excruciating waiting for the vinyls. And when we got back from Iraq, they give you the kind of three weeks of downtime. My husband was a gracious man and took me on a Cruise of the Baltic Sea. We're sitting in our cabin in Oslo Norway, and the phone in the cabin rings. The phone in your cabin, phone in my cabin rings. It's about 10 o'clock at night, but full sun outside, because it's summertime in Norway. And immediately we looked at each other, and both of our heart we've talked about this, both our hearts sank, because why does a phone call come to military people on vacation? It's not never it's never good. Yeah, and I was a flight commander at the time. So was he we immediately thought something disastrous had happened, an aircraft accident, a death, you know, a car accident. And we let it ring another time, and he's like, You need to pick it up. And I picked it up. And I said, Hello. And they go, is this Captain malikowski? I said, Yes. And they go standby for the commander of Air Combat Command. Oh my gosh. And I looked at my husband, and I was like, What is going on? Well, I knew this was the consolation call. There was, I think, I think there was five or six of us who had made it to finals. Three people were getting good position. The other were not. And it is tradition that the commander of Air Combat Command calls all six, coach is very gracious and professionally courteous. And so I thought this was my consolation call. So I'm waiting, and it feels like an eternity, and all of a sudden I hear Stevie there, and I said, Yes. He goes, Ron keys which was General. Ron Keyes, Commander, Air Combat Command. I'm a young captain. I'm like, you've got to be kidding me. And I go, sir, how are you? He goes. We have a pretty amazing Air Force that we can find you in the middle of the Oslo Norway fjord, don't we? I said, Yes, sir, we do. He goes. Well, I know you're on vacation, so I want to keep it simple. I want to offer you a job. And I said, Yes, sir. He goes. How would you like to be Thunderbird number three? And I said, I stayed as professional as I could in my voice, but I was looking at my husband gesticulating, jumping up and down like you're not gonna believe I said, Sir, I would absolutely love that. He goes, Okay, great. You're the next Thunderbird number three. Look forward to watching you fly and get back to your vacation. And he hung up the phone. You know, the Thunderbirds are, at that time, 125 people from 25 different career fields who came together to make that mission happen. Wow, never been in a squadron with that many high performing, highly motivated people in my life. I am still dear friends with my crew chief, still friends with people on the team. It is such a crucible experience. It's a one off, you know. Well, fast forward. Finish up the Thunderbirds. I get a phone call. He goes, it's Viking blurling. I'm like, How the heck did this guy that I met once get my phone he goes, Hey, when I was an Air Force officer, a young fighter pilot, I did acse as a White House fellow, and I think you should be a White House fellow. I said, Well, what's the White House Fellowship? So he explains it to me, and I'm like, there is no way I will get picked as one of 12 to 15 people across the United States, across all career fields, including civilians, to be a White House fellow. Colin Powell was a White House fellow. I am not a White House fellow. This is ridiculous. So I entertained his conversation. He says, I want you to think about I'm gonna call you back tomorrow, same time. Boom. Phone rings. Viking borling, you're applying to be a White House fellow, no, sir. I'm not. Third day ping. Phone calls. You're applying to be a White House fellow. Anyways, I applied to be a White House fellow. Went through that whole process, semi finals, regional panel interviews, and then the finals, and was selected to be a White House fellow. I got assigned outside of the White House to the US, General Services, Administration, yes, like, it was exciting. And I was like, this is where the nuts and bolts happen? Well, the GSA also runs what's called the office of the president elect. Between election and inauguration, the incoming president and their team needs to have a place to get ready, like our current incoming administration is doing. It's a physical office building where they make decisions about cabinet secretaries, or they get their intelligence briefings and all of that. Guess who got put on the presidential transition support team to be up close and personal for the peaceful transition of power between George Bush and Barack Obama? Wow. The extraordinary part about the White House Fellowship was most of the fellows were civilian, and I had been nothing but military since I was 17 years old and showed up at the Air Force Academy. So to be able to look at leadership and teamwork and professionalism from a completely different lens, to see how people from the education field or from healthcare would solve a problem was fascinating. You know, we in the military can look to solve problems a very specific way, and a lot of us are a little bit very specific in how we do it. And so to learn how to look at problems and solve things in different ways was extraordinary.   Naviere Walkewicz  31:23 So your career trajectory is just really incredible. Because you've kind of talked about how you've been put in these places based off of circumstance, but then when you get there, it's all about, how do you make the most of it, seize the opportunity and see what's available.   Nicole Malachowski  31:38 A lot of times, you know, as human beings, we go, Well, I don't have this, or I can't do this right now, or not resource this way, man, find a way. Yeah, ask yourself the right question. What is it I can do right now with what I have?   Naviere Walkewicz  31:49 Well, that makes me feel like that's a really good lead into kind of what circumstantially happened to you, unexpectedly. Yes, so you're medically retired from the Air Force. Do you want to talk about how that happened?   Nicole Malachowski  32:00 And sure, sure, you know, the the greatest honor of my career was serving as the commander of the 3/33 fighter squadron. I enjoyed that, and I remember also during that time being physically fit, mentally fit, spiritually fit. And I remember feeling ill in the summer of 2012 like I had the flu, but within three months, I started having severe neurological problems, so things like word finding, slurring my words, inability to read write, inability to type, dropping things with my right hand, dragging my right leg, getting lost, driving home, and I remember going into a grocery store and having a complete panic attack because I didn't know what a grocery store was or why I was in there so very Alzheimer's dementia like symptoms. So in fact, what was happening was my brain was becoming inflamed with an infection. So over the next four years, my symptoms would wax and wane. They would come and go, they would change in severity. Obviously, I could no longer fly. I was grounded, but they said, Hey, you can stay in the Air Force. You just can't fly. And I said, that's great, because honestly, I just want to lead airmen. Lead airmen and be a part of a team. So, you know, there's a lot of details, you know, to this story, but my symptom list was like 63 symptoms long, covering every system in my body. And so they cast the net wide, and that's where tick borne illness came into it. And at that time, I was in a wheelchair. I couldn't talk. My husband was wheeling me around, and I remember when the doctor said, we come on in. We have the diagnosis. We know what's wrong with her. The doctor says she'll never fly again. And my husband said, Well, how long until she's better? And she goes, Well, treatment is going to take at least two years. And it was in that moment, it wasn't that I wasn't going to fly again, that hurt. But when they said two years, I knew that the military was going to medically retire me, I knew it was over, and I couldn't speak or say anything, and I was just devastated. I remember my goal was to be the commandant of the Air Force Academy. That was my dream. And all that just came crashing, you know, crashing down. And in that moment, so for nine months I couldn't walk, talk, read or write. I spent another year and a half in rehab, and during that time, obviously went through my medical evaluation board, but I was medically retired, I fought to stay in and then I realized my body wasn't gonna let me and once I accepted that it was over, you know, I was able to move forward so radical acceptance was a hard thing to come by. But the day of my retirement, December 29 2017 came, I was home alone because I was bedridden and house bound for two years. Um, was very hurtful. Remains hurtful. How my Air Force career ended. I love the Air Force based on all the stories that I told, but this moment is very painful for me. It still is. And, you know, I thought, well, what are you going to do about it? You know, you can't. Change that you were bit by tick, can't change that you have a brain injury. What are you going to do? Girl, you know, the fighter pilot in you is not going to quit. And that's when I decided, well, I'm going to, you know, I got to do something. And the phone rang, and the phone rang, and it was during this time, a gal by the name of Buff Bucha, retired colonel, had been in a helicopter accident broke her neck in Afghanistan. She said, Hey, how you doing? I said, I'm not good. She goes talk to me, and I remember for two hours just vomiting everything out to this person I didn't really know very well. Well, she was calling from the Air Force Wounded Warrior program, wow, and the Wounded Warrior program swooped in to save me, and I ended up becoming a trained ambassador and a trained mentor, which I still am to this day. I'm able to help other airmen who are being discharged, but I just want to give a shout out to the Air Force wind Warrior Program, psychologically and mental health wise, I don't know that I would have recovered, and that I would have recovered to the place that I am today without them. And so I want for the active duty, listening for people in the reserve and the guard. It is for you, yeah, it is for everyone, and it is literally a life saving program.   Naviere Walkewicz  32:45 Maybe talk about what you've been doing then since.   Nicole Malachowski  36:16 Yeah, I do leadership consulting and professional speaking, but predominantly, that helps pay the bills, and I enjoy it. Predominantly, I do patient advocacy work at the national level, so I'm on several government boards. I'm on several nonprofit panels. We've tripled them, and IH funding through the state and like TicK Act and things like that. I'm currently on a National Academies of Science Committee. Can't talk about that because our report will come out in the spring. I hope everyone will read it. But Lyme disease, I went from being a fighter pilot to being an expert on ticks and Lyme disease. Who knew the path to success is always going to be non linear.   Naviere Walkewicz  36:49 Yes, you also mentioned you have children. You have twins. Do so how is it talk about, like family life in this new kind of in the way that you're working now, right? You're not in uniform anymore. You're still pushing amazing things forward. You're consulting what's it like being a mom?   Naviere Walkewicz  37:06 Man, it's harder, it is harder to raise 14 year old twins than it is to get shot at  in combat, I will tell you that. So you know, the person that's been missing in this whole time we've been talking is the most important person in my life, which is my husband, Paul. So we will be married. We just, yeah, just had our anniversary. 23 years. I met him in my first fighter squadron in the late 90s. He's an F-15E WSO. So we met flying together. And my biggest cheerleader, my biggest supporter, the greatest human being on Earth, is my husband, Paul.   Naviere Walkewicz  37:38 I want to talk about this resurgence, because I feel like that is really important for some of our listeners. When they're, you know, they're thinking about you said you got to know who you are and what's important to you. And how did you get to that clarity?   Nicole Malachowski 37:52 You really need to be able to answer the question, what is it I value and why? And I'm talking about your personal values, the ones that you're going to wake up with every day and go, these are my values. And so I'll tell you what mine are. Mine are courage and compassion and curiosity, and I developed those as I went through this deep thinking and deep reinvention, when I lost my career and compassion, courage and curiosity are what drive me today.   Naviere Walkewicz  38:18 We'll ask for Nicole's thoughts on reinvention, resilience and leadership. But before we do that, I'd like to take a moment and thank all of you for listening to long blue leadership. The podcast publishes on Tuesdays in both video and audio, and is available on all your favorite podcast platforms. Watch or listen to all episodes of Long blue leadership and subscribe at longblue leadership.org so we have had an incredible journey together, and really where we'd like to go. One final thought on leadership, if you might, leave your listeners with something about leadership, and I can say just from being in this short amount of time with you, your your 3 Cs are coming out in spades, your compassion, your curiosity and your courage. So thank you.   Nicole Malachowski  39:01 Thank you. You know leadership is a journey. We're always put into positions that we're supposed to grow into. Don't think you have to be perfect to be a leader. It's okay to admit when you make mistakes, it's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to have failures, as long as you overcome them. And I like to remind folks at all levels of leadership, you know that the runway behind you is always unusable. All you ever have is the runway that's in front of you.   Naviere Walkewicz  39:25 Well said, well said, Thank you so much for being on long blue leadership.   Nicole Malachowski  39:29 Thank you for having me. And here's a shout out to the current cadets that are working hard up on the hill, yeah, wishing them best and hoping they take it one day at a time.   Naviere Walkewicz  39:36 Absolutely. And for our listeners, I mean, I think that it's, it's it's certainly one thing to say, you know, you get to meet these incredible leaders, but my ask of you is to share this with your networks, because it's great if you felt something and you've had an impact in your life, but imagine the magnitude you can have by sharing some of the stories of our leaders like Nicole today with your networks and the change we can make together. So until next time, thanks for being on. Long blue leadership, thank you for joining us for this edition of long blue leadership. The podcast drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on all your favorite podcast apps. Send your comments and guest ideas to us at social media@usafa.org, and listen to past episodes at longblueleadership.org.   KEYWORDS leadership, resilience, resurgence, Air Force Academy, mentorship, aviation, women in military, pilot training, overcoming adversity, personal growth, fighter pilot, mentorship, leadership, Thunderbirds, women in military, self-doubt, White House Fellowship, WASP, Air Force, personal growth, diversity, WASP, Air Force, medical retirement, resilience, leadership, Lyme Disease, tick-borne illness, self-discovery, personal values, reinvention, advocacy         The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation    

-Rear Adm. John Meier (ret.) is a 1986 graduate of United States Naval Academy and was "winged" as a Naval Aviator in August 1988.-In his 37 years of Naval service, he achieved over 4,000 flight hours & 675 carrier landings, 6 separate command tours, and eventually ended his career with the title of ‘Commander Naval Air Force Atlantic', achieving the title of second highest ranking Naval Aviator in the U.S. Navy-In this role, he was responsible for 40,000+ personnel, six aircraft carriers, 2500+ aircraft and an ~$8 billion annual operating budget.-John's operational assignments include Electronic Attack Squadron-141 (VAQ-141), Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2), VAQ-128, and executive officer onboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), during which the command was recognized with the 2008, 2009 & 2010 Battle “E” and the 2009 Safety “S.” Command tours include VAQ-136, earning the Safety “S” and Battle “E” in 2004 as well as the 2005 Retention Excellence award; USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44), earning the 2011 Battle “E”;  and Precommissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) earning the 2014 &2015 Retention Excellence awards.-His shore assignments include tours at VAQ-129, where he was recognized as Instructor Pilot of the Year in 1995; EA-6B placement officer at Navy Personnel Command; senior operations officer and emergency actions officer on the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the National Military Command Center; requirements officer for EA-18G at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) N88; assistant chief of staff force readiness officer at Commander, Naval Air Forces; assistant commander, Navy Personnel Command for Career Management (PERS-4); and commander, Navy Warfare Development Command.-Meier has participated in operations around the world since Desert Storm, lead Southern Partnership Station and built the crew and culture of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) as her first commanding officer.WATCH - O2X | Integrated: U.S. Navy's HSCWL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko0quvMM7csFirstNet Built with AT&T:http://www.firstnet.com/healthandwellnessBuilding Homes for Heroes:https://www.buildinghomesforheroes.org/Download the O2X Tactical Performance App:app.o2x.comLet us know what you think:Website - http://o2x.comIG - https://instagram.com/o2xhumanperformance?igshid=1kicimx55xt4f 

In this episode of The Women in the Arena Podcast, we are excited to introduce Major Danielle M. Park, an accomplished F-16 Instructor Pilot with the 179th Fighter Squadron, 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard. Based in Duluth, Minnesota, Maj Park is not only a key NORAD Aerospace Control Alert Pilot, supporting the critical 24/7 homeland defense mission, but she also manages the Wing Orientation Flight Program and oversees the Squadron's recruiting efforts for both rated and unrated positions.Maj Park's journey began at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics in 2010 before receiving her commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. In this engaging conversation, Maj Park delves into the adventures of life in the Air Force, from building resilience during deployments to her unique experience of training Brie Larson for the Captain Marvel movie. She also opens up about personal topics such as navigating marriage while managing a demanding military career and her experiences as a dual military spouse. Join us to hear Maj Park's inspiring stories and gain insights into leadership, balancing personal and professional life, and embracing the dynamic challenges of a career in the Air Force. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a Text Message.Join us for a powerful conversation with a Chief Warrant Officer 4 in Army Aviation, who's spent over two decades breaking barriers in the skies. As a featured speaker at EmpowHER, she reflects on what influenced her unexpected journey into aviation and the challenges she overcame, including failing a critical vision test. Hear her insights on why perseverance through difficulties often leads to the greatest rewards and how everyday interactions with others can offer valuable lessons in resilience and growth. Allison Moser has served in Army Aviation for over 24 years and has achieved the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4. She has eagerly filled the roles of Instructor Pilot, Maintenance Test Pilot, Training Officer, Safety Officer, Armament Officer and Flight Operations Specialist among others. Her primary aircraft have been AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and her career has included deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq & Kosovo. She is currently an Instructor Pilot at the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS) where she has the pleasure of interacting with and training Army aviators from all over the country on a daily basis. Allison appreciates the opportunity to serve and thoroughly enjoys encouraging others to persevere. Hear more from Allison about:What a Chief Warrant 4 Officer is and what it equates to.Her inspiration to serve in the military.How aviation was by accident, but she fell in love with it.Her first of many challenges involved a vision test.How she is stronger and better because of the adversity she faced.The lessons that you can learn everyday from the people around you.Focusing on what is important in life - the people.Connect with us!LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliemathisStreamline Website: https://www.streamlinemultifamily.comEmpowHER Website: https://empowhermultifamily.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowhermultifamily https://www.instagram.com/streamlinemultifamilySubscribe and leave a review for the Multifamily Streamlined Podcast here.Streamline Multifamily Group is your specialized consulting partner for multifamily operations, training, and more! We offer consultative support in project management, construction, development, renovations, auditing, and also organize industry events. Remember, no matter how well your property is doing, it could be doing better. Contact Leslie at LMathis@StreamlineMultifamily.com for more information. 

Former military special operations officer Jeff Niklaus joins the program to discuss his experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. He shares his experience which inspired the Black Hawk down movie and the real life scenario they found themselves part of. He also explains his time as a special operations officer working to end the poppy production in Afghanistan. What really happened behind the scenes. Finally we discuss current operations and how you can identify them, develop situational awareness and be more able to protect you and your family. You can learn more about his products at https://www.complianttechnologies.net/   Links mentioned in the show: Sign up for the FREE Mind Control and 5th Generation Warfare series at https://BrightU.com Learn more about Leela's Quantum Tech at https://bit.ly/3iVOMsZ or at https://SarahWestall.com/shop MasterPiece: Remove Heavy Metals including Graphene Oxide and Plastics at https://masterpeacebyhcs.com/my-account/uap/?ref=11308   Consider subscribing: Follow on Twitter @Sarah_Westall Follow on my Substack at SarahWestall.Substack.com See Important Proven Solutions to Keep Your from getting sick even if you had the mRNA Shot - Dr. Nieusma MUSIC CREDITS: “In Epic World” by Valentina Gribanova, licensed for broad internet media use, including video and audio       See on Bastyon | Bitchute | Brighteon | Clouthub | Odysee | Rumble | Youtube | Tube.Freedom.Buzz     Jeffrey Niklaus Biography: Jeff Niklaus, the founder of Compliant Technologies, comes from a long military heritage with family serving all the way back to the Revolutionary War. He joined the Army in 1985 and, in 1987, became qualified in the UH-60 Blackhawk with his first assignment in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. During his 20-year active duty career, Jeff deployed in support of Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He served as an Instructor Pilot, Instrument Flight Examiner, Standardization Officer and Liaison Officer to covered units in the Department of Defense.  Jeff retired in 2006 as a Chief Warrant Officer Four and went on to work as a contractor to the US Department of State in support of the Poppy Eradication Program in Afghanistan. He currently flies EMS helicopters in Kentucky. He holds college degrees in Forestry, Business Management and Aeronautics. Jeff remains committed to the vital protection of our sovereign nation and the safety of our dedicated men and women who work at all levels of public service, to include our military forces. Through Compliant Technologies, he aims to provide these individuals with effective, non-lethal weapons that will better enhance their abilities to achieve their tasks at hand. He and his team at Compliant Technologies look forward to serving you and suppling you with an atypical technology for an atypical world.  

Jahara "FRANKY" Matisek teaches in the Department of National Security Affairs (NSA) as a Military Professor at the U.S. Naval War College. Previously, he was an Associate Professor in the MSS Department, Senior Fellow at HDI, Fellowship Director for IWI, and T-53 Instructor Pilot. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University with a Graduate Certificate in African Studies. He has been published over 90 articles in peer-reviewed journals and other outlets and ---------- LINKS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahara-franky-matisek-phd-9294a9a/ https://usnwc.edu/Faculty-and-Departments/Directory/Jahara-Franky-Matisek https://mwi.westpoint.edu/staff/jahara-matisek/ https://www.rusi.org/people/matisek https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/author/jahara-matisek/ https://irregularwarfare.org/team/jahara-matisek/ https://cepa.org/author/jahara-franky-matisek/ ---------- BOOKS: My book, Old and New Battlespaces, discusses the growing prominence of sociopolitical-information warfare (Lynne Rienner, 2022) https://www.rienner.com/title/Old_and_New_Battlespaces_Society_Military_Power_and_War My long-term book project, "Weak States, Strong Armies: Military Effectiveness in Africa?" (under revision) focuses on how bureaucratically weak African states become militarily effective through the creation of military enclaves. ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube's algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

One of only a handful of women to make it to the elite level of the Air Force Thunderbirds, Mace Curran is an experienced F-16 combat fighter pilot with 163 combat hours over Afghanistan in support of operations Resolute Support and Freedom's Sentinel. She has also served as an F-16 Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas. In 2022, she left active duty to found Upside Down Dreams and travels the country speaking to organizations on lessons of grit, perseverance, determination, and teamwork. Through keynotes, courses and workshops, she empowers individuals to shift their mindset to see their true potential. She defines what it is to be a modern Air Force officer for many outsiders, providing a valuable insight into the Air Force experience and showcasing the opportunities of an Air Force career. Listen to The Tony DUrso Show on VoiceAmerica Influencers Platform every Friday at 2pm Pacific or listen on Apple Podcasts or tonydurso.com/podcast.

One of only a handful of women to make it to the elite level of the Air Force Thunderbirds, Mace Curran is an experienced F-16 combat fighter pilot with 163 combat hours over Afghanistan in support of operations Resolute Support and Freedom's Sentinel. She has also served as an F-16 Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas. In 2022, she left active duty to found Upside Down Dreams and travels the country speaking to organizations on lessons of grit, perseverance, determination, and teamwork. Through keynotes, courses and workshops, she empowers individuals to shift their mindset to see their true potential. She defines what it is to be a modern Air Force officer for many outsiders, providing a valuable insight into the Air Force experience and showcasing the opportunities of an Air Force career. Listen to The Tony DUrso Show on VoiceAmerica Influencers Platform every Friday at 2pm Pacific or listen on Apple Podcasts or tonydurso.com/podcast.

Jack Stewart, Top Gun pilot and debut author, joins to talk his writing journey, and his brand new book, UNKNOWN RIDER. Jack Stewart grew up in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy before serving twenty-three years as a fighter pilot. During that time, he flew combat missions from three different aircraft carriers and deployed to Afghanistan as a member of an Air Force Tactical Air Control Party. His last deployment was with a joint special operations counter-terrorism task force in Africa. Find more about Jack here: jackstewartbooks.com Follow for more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffclarkofficial.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or... IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@⁠⁠officialJSClark⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ FB ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@officialJSClark⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@officialJSClark⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Full Episodes at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jeffclarkofficial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ApplePodcasts.com/CourseofAction⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Spotify.com/Course of Action⁠

If you love strange, quirky and amazing planes…then the SUPER GUPPY is for you! It's NASA's one-of-a-kind widebody transport aircraft that can haul larger loads than even a C-5 Galaxy! Join Ray Heineman, Chief of Aircraft Operations and Instructor Pilot of the SUPER GUPPY, and Dave Elliott, Flight Engineer for the Super Guppy for a deep dive into this AMAZING AIRCRAFT. “SocialFlight Live!” is a live broadcast dedicated to supporting General Aviation pilots and enthusiasts during these challenging times. Register at SocialFlightLive.com to join the live broadcast every Tuesday evening at 8pm ET (be sure to join early because attendance is limited for the live broadcasts).

In this episode, Cadet McMahan and C/Willis discuss their experiences with the Capstones they participated in last summer. Capstones are base visits that allow cadets to experience and meet active duty AF personnel. These vary depending on the desired AFSC of each cadet. C/McMahan went to Sheppard AFB in Wichita Texas and C/Willis went to RAF Lakenheath, England. *IP stands for Instructor Pilot

​In this bonus Q&A interview with Matt, he shares:His proudest moment and biggest failure in his career so farA trend that he is following in Talent Development right nowThe biggest challenge he sees in Talent Development todayBooks that have made a big impact on his lifeOne piece of career advice he has for youMatt Gjertsen is the founder and Chief Learning Officer of Better Every Day Studios, a full service instructional design team that helps aerospace and defense companies with everything from training needs analysis to learning content creation and delivery.He began his career in the United States Air Force as an Instructor Pilot in the T-1 and KC-10 aircraft. When not in the air, Matt spent his time racing triathlons, completing Ironman Lake Tahoe in 2013.After 9 years of service, Matt left active duty to become the Manager of Training and Development for SpaceX. His team was responsible for new hire orientation, employee and leader development, as well as various aspects of technical training from Environmental Health and Safety compliance to production and engineering skills. After four and a half years at SpaceX, Matt moved on to join a technology start-up where he built a global operations onboarding program, sales training and various leader development programs.Today, while focusing on defense & aerospace, Matt works with businesses of all sizes to create custom learning content and facilitate impactful employee training designed to change behavior, improve performance and help leaders build organizations people love to be part of.Matt is also continuing his military service as a Reserve Officer supporting the U.S. Space Force while he lives with his wife and daughter in Los Angeles, CA.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Matt Gjersten:LinkedIn

In today's episode, I am joined by Matt Gjertsen, the founder and Chief Learning Officer at Better Everyday Studios. With his extensive experience as an instructor pilot in the United States Air Force and his time at SpaceX as the manager of Training and Development, Matt brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of behavior-based training programs. Matt shares insights into why these programs are more effective than traditional methods and how they can be tailored to meet the specific needs of aerospace and defense companies. We explore the importance of focusing on behaviors rather than results, as it allows for better quantification and measurement of training outcomes.You'll learn:How behavior change is more effective than traditional training methods that prioritize results.The importance of connecting talent development to company strategy and business priorities for optimal impact.Practical approaches to implementing behavior-based training, including mapping everything back to targeted behaviors for a streamlined and simplified training content.Insight into the experiences and lessons learned from Matt as a trainer in the Air Force and at SpaceX, as well as his recommendations for successful talent development practices.Matt Gjertsen is the founder and Chief Learning Officer of Better Every Day Studios, a full service instructional design team that helps aerospace and defense companies with everything from training needs analysis to learning content creation and delivery.He began his career in the United States Air Force as an Instructor Pilot in the T-1 and KC-10 aircraft. When not in the air, Matt spent his time racing triathlons, completing Ironman Lake Tahoe in 2013.After 9 years of service, Matt left active duty to become the Manager of Training and Development for SpaceX. His team was responsible for new hire orientation, employee and leader development, as well as various aspects of technical training from Environmental Health and Safety compliance to production and engineering skills. After four and a half years at SpaceX, Matt moved on to join a technology start-up where he built a global operations onboarding program, sales training and various leader development programs.Today, while focusing on defense & aerospace, Matt works with businesses of all sizes to create custom learning content and facilitate impactful employee training designed to change behavior, improve performance and help leaders build organizations people love to be part of.Matt is also continuing his military service as a Reserve Officer supporting the U.S. Space Force while he lives with his wife and daughter in Los Angeles, CA.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Matt Gjersten:LinkedIn

Join us on this episode as we delve into the captivating journey of Colonel Dennis Daley, a retired Air Force F-16 instructor pilot with over 1,000 sorties and combat experiences. From growing up on a farm in Illinois to soaring the skies in F-16s and even transitioning to a career as a Delta pilot, Colonel Daley's story is one of determination, passion for aviation, and the importance of a strong team. Discover how he learned to fly, navigated the complexities of military aviation, and managed a successful career with the support of his dedicated team. Colonel Daley's experiences, from solo flights to combat missions, provide valuable insights into the world of aviation and leadership. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aviatorzone/support

Alex "AP" Pelbath and Courtney "Voodoo" Vidt join in for a live discussion and Q&A to share their thoughts and experiences during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. "AP" served as the Air Mission Commander for the final mission out of Afghanistan. "Voodoo" is a C-17 Instructor Pilot and Weapons Officer who flew numerous evacuation missions during August 2021. Newsletter - ⁠https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter⁠

Donations are always open!https://app.redcircle.com/shows/63e27b72-d402-4c1c-afa6-902f0e45279a/sponsorOn this episode Drago waters, a repeat guest on the KSP, joins us. He is an F-16 Weapons officer who doesn't take no sh#t from anyone and calls it like he sees it. Also joining us is Rowdy Little who used to fly F-16s and now fly's the T-38 in Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF). Rowdy is a highly decorated instructor with my Instructor Pilot of the Class awards than anyone else I know.We talk about life at Holloman AFB, the struggles Air National Guard currently faces, and how important fitness is to flying fighters. We also talk about the importance of being an honest broker of your capabilities.Rowdy breaks down what Fighter Bomber Fundamentals (FBF) is and why it is a huge challenge for the current IPs and probably future students.Thank you everyone for your feedback and please keep it coming!info@kodiakshack.comalso get your hats athttps://www.kodiakshack.com/shopSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/kodiak-shack-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

https://slasrpodcast.com/   SLASRPodcast@gmail.com   Welcome to the Sounds Like a Search and Rescue Podcast! Also known as SLASR. Join an experienced search and rescue volunteer and his friend as they discuss all things related to hiking and search and rescue in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. This week we are joined by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Luke Koladish. Luke is an Instructor Pilot and the Aviation Safety Officer for the NHANG. He is one of the people who is flying on the Blackhawk helicopter when missions are activated that require air support. We are excited to learn about his career and talk about the operations behind air missions in New Hampshire. Plus a recap of Emily's Hike, Stomp has a new piece of gear to review, Tornado hits New Hampshire, recent hikes on Garfield, Cannon, Algonquin Ridge and Pleasant Mountain in Maine, and search and rescue news This weeks Higher Summit Forecast About the New Hampshire Army National Guard https://nharmyguardrecruiting.com/    Window Cling Order Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAWSpyB3_6IbQF84DaSkJ1KdlUzQkY6DDNM2S-8axYK98NyQ/viewform    Topics Higher Summits Forecast Emily's Hike Recap Tornado in NH Bears in a Zoo are freaking everyone out Mummified Campers in Colorado National Parks Creeper in Colorado Joshua Tree Gear Talk Cheesey Netflix hiking movie Recent Hikes Jaime and Luke on Welch Dickey + Mushroom talk Guest of the Week - Luke and Jaime (53 - minute mark)   Show Notes Apple Podcast link for 5 star reviews SLASR Merchandise SLASR LinkTree Chinese Sun Bears are freaking everyone out by standing around looking human Update on partially mummified bodies found in Colorado Best Times to Visit US National Parks - Color coded Predator assaulting women in Colorado hiking trails Fires threaten iconic Joshua Trees Motorola Defy - HikingGuy Ultimate Direction Backpacks Happiness for Beginners - Netflix Hiker extracted from Mt. Lafayette 10 Essentials Links https://www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htm  https://americanhiking.org/resources/10essentials/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials  https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html  https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/outdoor-resources/the-10-essentials-what-to-pack-for-a-backcountry-hike/  https://www.mountaineers.org/blog/what-are-the-ten-essentials    Sponsors and Partners Mount Washington Higher Summits Forecast Vaucluse - Sweat less. Explore more. – Vaucluse Gear Alzheimer's Association - 48 Peaks Seek The Peak Website 

Courtney "Voodoo" Vidt is a C-17 Instructor Pilot and Weapons officer. "Voodoo" and her crew were integral in the massive effort to evacuate U.S. personnel and our allies out of Afghanistan in August of 2021. We talked in-depth about her experiences during those missions. Join  @AfterburnPodcast  for a live chat about the missions and the evacuation out of Afghanistan. The date and venue is still in the works. To stay up-to-date and not miss out join our newsletter: https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter Afterburn Podcast Sponsors Launch Your Aviation Career - BogiDope: https://bit.ly/BogiDope Secure Your Digital Identity - Aura: https://aura.com/afterburn E3 Aviation Association: https://bit.ly/E3Aviation  

In this episode of Pilot's Paradise Podcast, we venture into the captivating aviation journey of Beau Miller, an Air Tanker Pilot in the CalFire S-2T Air Tanker, residing in Pocatello, Idaho. Beau's aviation career spans across various esteemed roles, including serving as an F-16 combat pilot and a U-2/T-38 Instructor Pilot in the United States Air Force. From flying U-2s in the USAF to combating wildfires from the skies, Beau shares his inspiring stories and practical advice tailored to Idaho aviation enthusiasts and pilots. Join us as we explore Beau's aviation journey through the skies of Pilot's Paradise.Please visit our website http://pilotsparadisepodcast.com/ to submit comments, suggestions, and recommendations for guests on the podcast.This episode was produced by Kanecast.

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.comSHOW NOTES:What can leaders learn from pilots? Tenille Cromwell, chief pilot, shares four lessons from the cockpit that will make you a more effective leader. We look at how pilots communicate, work with their teams and navigate storms to complete their missions safely. Tenille, who flew her first solo flight at 17, draws from deep experience leading airborne customer support and her time in the US Navy as mission commander and instructor. She holds a BS from the University of Southern California (USC), an MBA from Georgia Southern University, and completed executive education at Harvard's Kennedy School and Stanford's Graduate School of Business.Her grandpa, the lightbulb moment and “Mom and Dad, college is on me.. I joined the Navy”The job of a Chief Pilot, the job of a pilotLesson #1: Communication“CRM” and depersonalizing, conciseness and tailoring to the audienceTwo giant jets, 100 feet apart – Tone and how you say itLesson #2: Co-pilots and Diversity of ThoughtHer military background vs that of her co-pilot: “a rich fabric of decision making”TrustFlying into Bozeman, “I can't see the runway”Huddles to discuss the Brief (“Exec Summary”)“No, it's not all Kumbaya”: A time for collaboration vs a time to make a decisionScenario planning, pre-mortems and debriefs to avoid error45,000 feet and losing pressure is “not a time for conversation, we need to descend now”Lesson #3: Navigating Thunderstorms and the 4 routesLesson #4: Surrounding yourself with a good team“I really couldn't do this without these people”The role of recognition and her Christmas tradition When bringing stragglers along is gross mis-prioritization“It's not all glory being a chief pilot”The importance of overcommunication – “Just because you think it doesn't mean other people know it” - why it helps in the cockpit to include your copilot in your internal thought processWomen in aviation, with India as an outlier?The physical demand is not the challenge, but managing the time away is“Start them early” – experience and exposureYou can't have it all but you can sure try“You don't always need to find a mentor that looks like you” and other advice for young womenGuys have the same challenges that women do - "No need to belittle yourself to fit in"Her favorite plane to fly (quite the savvy response…)BIO AND LINKS:Tenille Cromwell is Chief Pilot for an elite private aircraft manufacturer. She flies the G150, G350, G450, and G550, manages 17 pilots and seven aircraft that are continuously operating around the world to meet customer needs. She started her aviation career in the US Navy, where she served as Instructor Pilot and Mission Commander in the E-6B (TACAMO), and as Instructor Pilot in the T-1 (Hawker 400) for future military aviators. Tenille holds a BS in Business from the University of Southern California, an MBA from Georgia Southern University, and earned executive education certificates in Public Leadership from Harvard's Kennedy School, and in Corporate Innovation from Stanford's Graduate School of Business (LEAD). When not completing missions that add to her 7000+ flight hours, she lives in Savannah, Georgia with her husband, and three children.Tenille on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tenille-cromwell-0b079718b/JFK's 1962 Clip: “We choose to go to the Moon” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQV9CAJWlVYFlights, by by the numbers: https://www.spikeaerospace.com/air-traffic-around-the-globe-over-24-hours/How safe is it to fly? https://simpleflying.com/how-safe-is-flying/Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers: https://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930Scenario planning to avoid error (and the strong case for pre-mortems): https://hbr.org/2007/09/performing-a-project-premortemStats on women in aviation: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/at-15-india-has-most-number-of-female-pilots-in-the-world-11679622535369.htmlTime to become a pilot? The upcoming shortage is real: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/19/business/pilot-shortage-retirement-tsunami/index.html Michael's Book, Get Promoted: https://changwenderoth.com/#tve-jump-180481ecea3

This week in the studio my guest has 35 years of service to the United States, 17 of those years were spent in Army Special Operations as a Combat and Instructor Pilot. He has logged more than 6700 flying hours and is certified to fly no less than 3 different models of airframes. He has taken part in Operation Desert Shield/Storm and was a major factor in the Global War on Terror with such missions as inserting the Horse Soldiers after 9/11, The Battle of Takur Gar where he was shot down, and numerous other operations delivering Rangers, Delta, Navy SEALS, and many more warriors safely into and out of violent combat zones. He is also a highly decorated soldier who has been awarded the Legion of Merit, 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 3 Bronze Stars, and 10 Air Medals included one with a “V” for Valor. This week is a conversation about the possibility of living out all your dreams but still being haunted by the nightmares that you never thought were possible, and then picking yourself up and discovering what truly makes you happy in your life and the love ones that surround you. This guest has written one of the most amazing biographies that I have ever read, that puts on display every emotion, up or down, right or wrong, and being truly candid in every in every sense of the word. Please welcome Alan C. Mack…….

Ep 162 - Jeff Fletcher - Warning, may talk about paramotors - ClearPropTV Paramotor Podcast Tonights show is all about #Paramotor Tonights guest, Jeff Fletcher 8 years as Air Force T-37 Instructor Pilot. 6 as U-2 Instructor/Interview Pilot. Over 20 years with Southwest Airlines. Current CFI, MEI, and USPPA FL and WL Instructor with FAA tandem exemption. SIV attendee. http://www.DesertAviators.com https://www.paramotorarkansas.com/account/register get a free account and you might find a free gift in your mail box

Today, we'll detail the history behind the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, what they do, and their perspective on streamlining the educational processes of the aerospace industry with the OBAP Chairman of the Board, Joel Webley. Listen in to know more about their purpose!     WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE  The reason for OBAP's (Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals) existence How OBAP develops and support work force in the aerospace industry OBAP programs to promote aerospace to youth Career opportunities from  the aerospace industry Benefits of OBAP conferences The importance of allyship in your life journey     RESOURCES/LINKS MENTIONED Duncan Aviation Luke Weathers Jr. Flight Academy FedEx Delta Airlines UPS SkyWest Airlines     ABOUT JOEL WEBLEY Hailing from Grand Rapids Michigan, Joel Webley is a FedEx 757 Captain, and Instructor Pilot with the New Hampshire Air National Guard. A graduate of Western Michigan University College of Aviation, Joel started his career first as a Certified Flight Instructor, next as an Officer and Pilot in the USAF, and later a Captain and Business Leader with the General Electric Corporate Flight Department. As a true ‘success story' of OBAP initiatives, Joel initially began his relationship with OBAP in 1999 as a high school student attending an affiliated summer program. There he first interacted with OBAP members and was inspired to work with other community programs targeted towards promoting diversity within the aviation industry as his career burgeoned. Almost 20 years later, Joel brings to the OBAP leadership, years of aviation experience as a pilot, as well as strong business skills sharpened while working within a Fortune 100 corporation as Process Improvement Leader. Joel joined the OBAP Board of Directors in January 2019 and currently serves as Board Chair. During his time with the board, he has served as Chair for the Professional Skills Development Program Subcommittee, Chair for the 2019 Convention Professional Development Committee, Corporate Luncheon Committee, and Member of the 2019 Convention Committee. His current focus is on helping develop new strategies to keep OBAP effective in its mission despite challenges presented by a changing industry. Joel holds an M.S. in Project Management from Boston University. He currently resides in the greater Memphis area with his wife Julia and their two sons.     CONNECT WITH JOEL Website: Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals     CONNECT WITH US  Are you ready to take your relationship to the next level? Don't wait until it's too late. Use the promo code “PODCAST” and save 10% on all our services. Check us out at www.spitfireelite.com!   If you want to recommend someone to guest on the show, email Nik at podcast@spitfireelite.com, and if you need a professional pilot resume, go to www.spitfireelite.com/podcast/ for FREE templates!      SPONSOR If you're a professional pilot looking for a great financial planning partner for your retirement, tax, and investment, go to  www.tpope.ceterainvestors.com/contact or call 704-717-8900 ext 120 to schedule a consultation appointment with Timothy P. Pope, CFP®

For the first time in three years, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels have a new flight leader. Cmdr. Alexander Armatas officially took command of the Naval Flight Exhibition Team on November 13, 2022, at a ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. He replaced Captain Brian Kesselring, who led the Team during its 75th anniversary and the transition to the F/A-18 Super Hornet. In this interview, Boss Armatas discusses his priorities and focus as the new commanding officer and flight leader for the Blue Angels, including getting to know each member of the Team, mastering the 45 minute air show demonstration, and ensuring his fitness and nutrition are optimized for high intensity flying and a rigorous schedule. With winter training in El Centro, California just weeks away, Boss Armatas also provides insight into the current flying syllabus and milestones the Team are focused on achieving, including flying the first Delta Formation for the 2023 Blue Angels. A native of Skaneateles, New York, Boss Armatas cites flyovers by a formation of F-16 Falcons from the New York National Guard and exposure to cargo operations at the Syracuse International Airport as early influences that sparked his passion for aviation. He also attended a number of airshows in London, Ontario, Canada during his informative years where he witnessed the Blue Angels perform for the first time. Graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 2002 with a degree in aerospace engineering, Boss Armatas earned his Wings of Gold in June of 2005 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Mississippi. Initially assigned to NAS Lemoore, California, he served in a variety of different roles as part of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115, the “Eagles” and deployed three times on board the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In 2009, Boss Armatas graduated from the world famous TOPGUN course at NAS Fallon, Nevada before joining VFA-122 the “Flying Eagles” where he was named the 2010 VFA-122  Instructor Pilot of the Year. Transferring to VFA-14 the “Tophatters”, Boss Armatas supported Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013 aboard the USS John C Stennis (CVN-74). Following this tour, he reported to NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia to serve as the Department Head for FVA-143 the “Pukin' Dogs” and deployed aboard the USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. After  serving as a Strike Fighter Placement Officer for the Navy Personnel Command (NPC) in Millington, Tennessee in 2017, Boss Armatas reported to VFA-105 the “Gunslingers” where he served as both Executive Officer and Commanding Officer during his tenure and deployed twice aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN-69) in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. With the encouragement of former Blue Angels pilot, John Hiltz, Boss Armatas submitted his application for the Blue Angels after accumulating more that 4,100 flight hours and 911 carrier-arrested landing. He was announced as the Commanding Officer of the Blue Angels in April of 2022 and officially joined the team in August. 2023 Blue Angels Team1. CDR Alexander Armatas2. LCDR Chris Kapuschansky3. LT Amanda Lee4. LT Scott Goossens5. LCDR Julius Bratton6. LCDR Griffin Stangel7. LCDR Thomas Zimmerman8. LCDR Brian VaughtXO CRD Jon FayM1 CAPT Jackson Streiff, USMCM2 MAJ Joshua Soltan, USMCM3 CAPT Samuel Petko, USMCMO LT Henry CedenoAssistant MO LCDR Gregory JonesFlight Surgeon LT Philippe WarrenSO LT Paul KrugerSupport the show

Today we have with us an exceptional leader who has led high-performing teams in the military and in the business world. Our speaker today is Patrick Houlahan. Patrick has had a 27-year career as a fighter pilot in the Marine Corps and is the Founder and CEO of Strategic Leadership Consultants, leading numerous teams and organizations to success in the business world. MILITARY CAREER BACKGROUND: Patrick graduated from The Citadel in 1992 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed in San Diego, CA serving as a fighter pilot flying the F/A-18 Hornet and deployed twice to the Western Pacific. Patrick graduated from the United States Navy Post Graduate Fighter Weapons School, “Top Gun,” and served as an instructor pilot. In 2003, Patrick was selected as the Instructor Pilot of the Year. After leaving active duty in 2004, Patrick flew the A-10 Warthog with the United States Air Force Reserves and joined the Marine Corps Reserves in 2006. After returning to the Marine Corps, he established the first Reserve Training Unit and continued to serve as an Instructor Pilot. As a reservist, Patrick deployed to Al Assad, Iraq, and again to the Western Pacific. Patrick has trained over 500 replacement aircrew, accumulated over 2800 hours of flight time, and rose to the rank of Colonel. He is a graduate of the United States Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and earned his Master of Strategic Studies as a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Army War College. Patrick has served in a variety of roles in the Marine Corps including as a Supply Officer, Maintenance Officer, Operations Officer, and Unit Officer in Charge. CONSULTING CAREER: In 2004, after Patrick left active duty and joined Afterburner Inc. Patrick quickly rose to become an Executive Consultant and Director of Seminars. In 2006 was selected as San Diego's MPI (Meeting Professionals International) Speaker of the Year. During his 13-year career at Afterburner, Patrick led over 450 keynotes, workshops, and consulting engagements with today's leading corporations such as Verizon, ExxonMobil, Medtronic, DOW, VMware, and H&R Block to name a few. Patrick has also worked as the account manager for Southern California for Kratos Public Safety and Security, as the Director of Business Development for Citadel Defense Company, and as the Organizational Development Executive (ODE) for Brooks International. As an ODE, Patrick worked with numerous executive leadership teams and was responsible for gaining consensus and alignment in support of the CEO's imperative. Throughout his career, Patrick recognized that the organizations that succeeded in any endeavor possessed great leaders. Those that did not, failed. Recognizing the need for leadership training, Patrick founded Strategic Leadership Consultants in 2019 to help organizations build inspired, compassionate, mission-driven Leaders. Highlights Patrick's experience graduating from the United States Navy Postgraduate Fighter Weapon School What separates the United States Navy Postgraduate Fighter Weapon School from other schools What led Patrick to join the military and become a fighter pilot Flying planes to consulting: the process What are the common areas of growth and challenges How things such as employee and department issues factor into leadership How does good or bad leadership play into the ability to get the appropriate people in the door What leaders today are lacking What is Patrick's coping mechanism? Example of an inspired leader How a good leader communicates What are the four things that can help you become a better leader What it means to level up Episode Resources Connect with Galen M. Hair https://insuranceclaimhq.com hair@hairshunnarah.com www.levelupclaim.com Connect with Patrick Houlahan https://strategicleadershipconsulting.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-houlahan-mss-csm-b0682368 https://www.facebook.com/patrick.houlahan.31 

In honor of Veterans Day this Friday, we have an exceptional episode to share with our listeners! Tessa, Michael, and Laura spoke with JP Sniffen and Charlan (Charlie) Poirson about their unique experiences as veterans and corporate sector employees. JP Sniffen began his professional career as an Infantry Officer in the US Marine Corps and is a 3rd generation Marine. After active duty, JP transitioned to military talent recruitment before moving into the corporate sector and has been with Korn Ferry in veteran talent solutions since 2022.Charlie Poirson is an Air Force officer and pilot and served as an Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner at the United States Air Force Academy. During her 32 years in active duty, she conducted military transport, humanitarian relief, and airdrop missions worldwide, flying the C-141B Starlifter. At Korn Ferry, Charlie provides leadership and expertise for the military senior officer division of Professional Search in North America.We want to thank Charlie and JP for their service and sacrifice and appreciate their honesty in this special episode.Thank you to all our veterans this Veterans Day!To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website.If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

In honor of Veterans Day this Friday, we have a very special episode to share with our listeners! Tessa, Michael, and Laura spoke with JP Sniffen and Charlan (Charlie) Poirson about their unique experiences as both veterans and employees in the corporate sector. JP Sniffen began his professional career as an Infantry Officer in the US Marine Corps, and is a 3rd generation Marine. After active duty, JP transitioned to military talent recruitment before moving into the corporate sector, and has been with Korn Ferry in veteran talent solutions since 2022. Charlie Poirson is an Air Force officer and pilot and served as an Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner at the United States Air Force Academy. During her 32 years in active duty, she conducted military transport, humanitarian relief, and airdrop missions around the world, flying the C-141B Starlifter. At Korn Ferry, Charlie provides leadership and expertise for the military senior officer division of Professional Search in North America. We'd like to thank both Charlie and JP for their service and sacrifice, and appreciate their candor in this special episode. Thank you to all our veterans this Veterans Day!

If you haven't already voted for your candidate of choice via absentee ballot or at the polls for early voting, please, GO VOTE! Let your voice be heard. The opportunity / right to vote was denied for women and other minorities for so long. This is an opportunity to impact the future of our government. If you choose not to vote, you are also choosing not to complain about who is in office. Mentioned heard in this episode: US Air Force Brigadier General Robert S. Spalding III (http://linkedin.com/in/rspalding) was the U.S. Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché to China, Beijing and from May 2017 to January 2018, Senior Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council, White House, Washington D.C. While at the National Security Council, Spalding notably wrote a memo calling for nationalizing the development of 5G wireless network. James D. “Murph” Murphy is a former F-15 Instructor Pilot in the US Air Force. He is the Founder and Chairman of Afterburner.(https://www.afterburner.com/jim-murph-murphy/). Annette Whittenberger (https://tactical16.com/annette-whittenberger-author) | (https://summit.richabadami.com/annette-whittenberger) Jon Macaskill (https://macaskillconsulting.com/about-jon/)  #YouveGotMettle | #VeteransHelpingVeterans | #Elections2022 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mettle-of-honor/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mettle-of-honor/support

Mike, aka "Snak Pak" is a current Chief Warrant Officer 2 and Instructor Pilot at the Aviation Center of Excellence at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. Mike shares with us his story of entering into aviation, experiences he has had, and ultimately how to approach an APART or any flight evaluation with the most preparedness and ease.Brought to you by Brotallion, LLCwww.brotallion.com@brotallion

Alan C. Mack joined the Army upon graduating High School. His desire to see the world as a US Army helicopter mechanic took him to the Republic of Korea, West Texas, and the Federal Republic of Germany before attending Warrant Officer flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The nearly year-long flight school yielded a UH-1H, Huey, and CH-47D, Chinook, aircraft qualification before his first pilot assignment in Savannah, Georgia. He arrived in time to progress with his new unit as a copilot in Operation Desert Shield. Then, several months later, he flew combat missions in the lead aircraft penetrating deep into Iraq. Upon his return to the United States, he quickly achieved the status of Pilot-in-command and eventually assumed the coveted role of Night Vision Goggle Unit Trainer. The NVG UT position is a precursor to flying as an Instructor Pilot (IP). Another assignment to the Republic of Korea was in store for Alan before attending the CH-47 Instructor Pilot course at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The call to adventure was persuasive, drawing Alan into the special operations community as an MH-47 pilot, where he served for nearly 17 years at the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (TF-160th). He carried in the Horse Soldiers in 2001, Navy SEAL Neil Roberts fell from his helicopter when he was shot down during Operation Anaconda, he was the overall flight lead for Operation Earned Respect (the recovery of fallen from Operation Redwings, and the rescue of Marcus Luttrel), among many other missions. CW5 Alan C. Mack is a Master Aviator with more than 6700 hours of flight time, of which over 3200 hours were flown with Night Vision Goggles. Alan C. Mack's awards include • Legion of Merit • 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses • 3 Bronze Star Medals • 3 Meritorious Service Medals • 10 Air Medals; one with Valor device, Combat Action Badge, and the Army Broken Wing award.

We learn how to do Learning & Development in the organisations and sectors we work in but what is the experience like in the US Air Force and Elon Musk's SpaceX? In this episode, I speak with Matthew Gjertsen, who has done both and learned some important lessons about what really works.KEY TAKEAWAYS Good instructors and L&D professionals can identify the gaps and know how to fill them. If someone feels they are underpaid or not given the right tools to do the job L&D is not going to help. People learn to change the way they act by laying down new pathways in their brains. Changing and practising one aspect of behaviour is a highly effective way to move the ball forward. Use E-learning as a preparation for the next stage e.g., for on-the-job training. It is not the end game. If you use simulators build experiences that create an emotional reaction. How is explained in the episode? The more streamlined your learning is the better. Strip out anything that is not essential for that person´s job. Our brains are designed to learn things in context, so all learning needs to be contextual. Learning in the flow of work is an effective way to do that. BEST MOMENTS'It all comes down to behaviour… always ask what the behaviour is you are trying to change''You have to stack learning methods to really get the outcome. ''The best document is no document… only create something when it must be created. Even then, always be trying to get rid of it. 'ABOUT THE GUESTMatthew Gjertsen BioMatthew began his unique L&D career as a T-1 Instructor Pilot in the US Air Force and went on to become Training & Development Manager at SpaceX, where he was responsible for programs across the entire facility. Matthew is now owner of Better Every Day Studios and advisor to hearme.app.GUEST RESOURCESYou can follow and contact Matthew via:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/Website: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.comVALUABLE RESOURCESThe Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ABOUT THE HOSTDavid James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team spoke virtually with Capt. Ashley Bird, 33rd Flying Training Squadron executive officer at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, about her journey to the military through ROTC at Purdue University, the path to becoming a pilot, the pros and cons of being a force generator instructor pilot, and her personal life being military married to military. Bird also talks about rated diversity improvement, which is the Air Force's focused, long-term effort to attract, recruit, develop, and retain a diverse rated leadership corps.

In today's episode, host John Laurito talks with former Commanding Officer of USS GERALD R. FORD turned Speaker, JJ Cumings, about leadership and what it has been like for him to lead a huge number of people serving in the Navy. He also talks about the importance of feedback and communication in an organization, whether big or small. Capt. Cummings grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts, graduated from Sharon High School in 1985, and earned a B.A. in physics from Bates College in 1990. In 1986, he enlisted in the Navy Reserves and served as a hospital corpsman attached to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion 25th Marines in Topsham, Maine, until 1991. He completed Aviation Officer Candidate School in November of 1991, earned his wings in October 1993, and completed Fleet Replacement training in the F-14A Tomcat in June 1995.Ashore, Capt. Cummings served as SURGRAD with the VT-19 “Attack Frogs” and as an F-14 Instructor Pilot with the VF-101 “Grim Reapers,” where he graduated from the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) as a Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor. Additionally, he served in the NATO Logistics Branch at HQ Strategic Allied Command Transformation and as Branch Head for Force Rotation in the Global Force Management Cell at US Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. He was selected for training in the Navy's Nuclear Propulsion Program in 2010 and completed nuclear power training in December 2012. In 2016 at Commander Naval Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff for aircraft carrier training, F-35C Air Ship Integration, and Foreign Military Training.Capt. Cummings served as the Executive Officer of USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) from May 2013 to May 2015 and as the Commanding Officer of USS ANCHORAGE (LPD 23) from September 2015 to December 2016.He has a Master of Science in Education from Old Dominion University and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, where he graduated with Distinction as the President's Honor Graduate.Connect with JJ at:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-j-cummings-509919145/Show notes:[4:13] JJ's background story[7:10] Why does he think he got promoted and got the opportunities he did?[8:05] Where does his passion for leadership come from?[10:07] Did he ever feel like he won't be respected as a leader?[11:31] Was being a Commanding Officer his goal early on?[12:56] How did he deal with the challenge of leading a huge number of people?[17:20] On asking and receiving feedback[20:08] What's his perspective on communication as a leader?[25:23] Abusing power to make his people's lives better[28:00] What does leadership need to look like in times of crisis or emergency?[30:26] What went through his mind when he got shot while flying a plane over Afghanistan?[34:52] How important is a support system for any leader?[36:54] Get in touch with JJ[38:50] OutroGet a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9hText LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right NowFor questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at john@lauritogroup.com

Lieutenant Colonel "Sonny" Scott Duncan is an F35 pilot and instructor pilot with over 2800 flying hours and over 300 combat hours.He was also an instructor pilot at the Navy Fighter Weapons School ( A.K.A Top Gun), fully qualified in the F18 Hornet, the F18 Super Hornet, and the F16 Fighting Falcon.However, Scott is among hundreds of combat aviators currently being purged from our military. In early September 2021, he submitted a religious accommodation request for the COVID shot, which was denied in October 2021.In this week's episode, Matt interviews Scott to learn more about his background in the military and his thoughts on the Navy's current state of affairs. Tune in to learn why the COVID vaccine mandate policy is, in reality, a manifestation of a much larger ideology, the impending readiness crisis the military is facing, and Scott's advice to young service members.  Key Takeaways - Top gun instructor pilot on the chopping block (00:00)- Scott's journey as an F35 pilot and instructor pilot (01:50)- The problem with the current DoD vaccine mandate policy (09:13)- What happened after Scott filed his religious accommodation request (15:46)- The reason Scott refused to comply with the mandate (24:29)- Why the mandate is a manifestation of a larger ideology (35:17)- What the future looks like for Scott (41:22)- Scott's advice for young service members (50:10) Additional Resources- Connect with Matt- Learn more about the Irresistible RevolutionThis episode is brought to you by One Sunrise.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please share and follow it on your favorite platform.

CW4 Daniel T. Archer entered the Army in October of 2001 as an airframe electrician technician.  Following Basic Training, AIT and Enlisted Green Platoon, he was assigned to the Fco 1st BN 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) .  In October of 2002, CW4 Archer was selected to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School and Army Initial Entry Rotorcraft Training at Fort Rucker Alabama.  CW4 selected Apache Longbows as his airframe of choice out of flight school.After Flight school CW4 Archer was assigned to Renegade Troop, 4/3 ACR.  In early 2005, CW4 deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and flew AH64Ds primarily over the Baghdad and Mosul areas of operation, culminating in 598 Combat flight hours in the AH64D. In 2006 CW4 Archer PCS'd to South Korea to serve as a company Instructor Pilot in the Longbow.  In 2008 he was assigned to the 204th MI BN as a C-12U pilot.In 2009 CW4 Archer Assessed and was selected for training at 4th BN 1st CIG. During his time in 2nd BN CW4 Archer held many jobs to include Company Standardization Pilot, BN Standardization Pilot and Senior Warrant Officer. CW4 Archer has accumulated over 6800 flight hours, 2500+combat flight hours, 1200+ imminent danger hours and has deployed overseas 27 times, 25 times with 1st CIG over the last 12 years in the organization. CW4 Archer holds 8 different type ratings and is an FAA Pilot Examiner Designee.CW4 Archer deployed in support of SOUTHCOM, CENTCOM, PACOM, EUCOM, and AFRICOM, participated in multiple Operations to include IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERIANT RESOLVE, and numerous classified contingency missions directed by the National Command Authority.Masada Tactical The premier self protection training company, combining Israeli tactics and American disciplines.Combat Iron Apparel

Season 2: Episode 3 of The DisruptiveAF Podcast learns from THE Wes “Rock” Reid, Chief of Innovation at Fighter Country Spark and F-16 Instructor Pilot. Rock, brings his words of wisdom from the tactical edge of Fighter Country as he shares the innovation challenges of Fighter Training as well as his recent experience from the recent Nellis Hackathon event. Subscribe now to never miss an episode on the edge of innovation with The DisruptiveAF Podcast! Connect with us! LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/morpheusaf Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOxzCqwMHkyQyeDf8GGhgeA Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptiveaf-podcast/id1517079235 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4DjjQ6JwZbEZ9dZDtv8ltn Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/32d9da97-b7fd-4e21-a06e-7643ecef768c/the-disruptiveaf-podcast

Join us on the Iron Edge Podcast for a great discussion with LTC Judd Douglas of the US Army. We break down some of the issues men face regarding leadership and service in the church as well as at home and in business. LTC Douglas enlisted in the U.S. Navy in July of 1996 as an Electronic Warfare Technician, later to become a U.S. Navy Diver with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three out of Coronado California. His specific duties encompassed the Diving Supervisor and the primary Mammal Handler for “Ten”, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin trained to locate underwater explosives. After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, LTC Douglas pursued a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from American Military University. In 2003 he attended Officer Candidate School where he was commissioned into the Arizona Army National Guard. In January of 2005 he became a distinguished honor graduate in his flight class and a rated Army Aviator; qualified in the AH-64D “Apache Longbow” and OH-58 A/C. Shortly thereafter he deployed as an Apache Pilot and Platoon Leader for D Company, 1-285th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. LTC Douglas transitioned to the UH-60 Blackhawk Maintenance Facility in 2009 where he became a Maintenance Test Pilot, an Instructor Pilot, and the Commander of Det 1, C Co., 5-159th Medical Evacuation Unit; eventually commanding the MEDEVAC on a combat deployment in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. LTC Douglas is qualified in the AH-64D Apache, LUH-72A Lakota, OH-58A/C, and UH-60A/L Blackhawk; to include Maintenance Test Pilot and Instructor Pilot. Over the past 8 years LTC Douglas' assignments have consisted of Brigade Operations Officer, Supervisor of Instructor Pilots, Army Aviation Support Facility Commander, Aide-de-Camp to the Deputy Commander of NORTHCOM, and Battalion Commander. During this time he completed a Master's degree in Business Administration from Grand Canyon University, attended the Defense Support to Civil Authorities course at NORTHCOM/NORAD, finished his professional development studies at the Command and General Staff College, and is currently attending the Joint Combined Warfare School. LTC Douglas has lead at all levels from Platoon to Battalion; including multiple Company and Battalion Commands. His awards and badges include a Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service medal, Combat Action Badge, Senior Army Aviation Wings, and a U.S.Navy Second Class Dive Badge. LTC Douglas has been married to Tammie Douglas, his high-school sweetheart, for 22 years and has three children; Kaden (21), Payton (18) and Kole (14). Kaden Douglas is serving alongside his dad a Blackhawk Mechanic (15T) in the Arizona Army National Guard at the Western ARNG Aviation Training Site.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is John Foley. John is a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels. Being up in the sky, flying 18 inches apart from the next plane at 500 miles per hour requires intense communication and a deep understanding of what your role is. Also critical to this level of success is having trust in your team, and a commitment to continuous learning. As you'll hear, this is how John approaches all aspects of his life, including his personal finances. John is a former Sloan Fellow at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, leadership expert, speaker and Gratitude Guru. As a thought leader on high performance, John created the “Glad To Be Here” Mindset Methodology and the Diamond Performance Framework. As a Blue Angel, John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying an F-18 at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour and in formations as close as 18 inches apart. To survive in those circumstances, he relied on a culture of high trust and leadership that turned inherently unforgiving flight into extraordinary experiences. His presentations inspire individuals, teams and organizations around the world to reach their highest potential while sustaining excellence under dynamic change. For decades, John has shared his exciting, rare journey with audiences around the world, becoming one of the most in-demand leadership and performance experts. John has spoken on 5 continents, 20 countries and over 1000 events working with some of the world's top organizations such as; Google, Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, HP, Mercedes Benz, BMW, IBM, Hitachi, Chevron, BP, Marriott, Hilton, Penske Racing, Alabama Football, LA Kings, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Edward Jones, Fidelity, Mass Mutual, MetLife, Bank of America, Deloitte, IBM, Hershey, P&G, Philips, Etihad, America Hospital Association, Blue Cross and the Mayo Clinic. He has also been a featured speaker at NBA, MLB, MLS, NCAA, TedX, VC and CEO summits, Titan Summit, USNA Leadership Conference, Stanford Business School, University of Zurich, and Global Sports Summits. John keynote presentations, workshops and online curriculum support Individuals, Teams, Organizations with lessons in: High Performance, Leadership, Teamwork Trust, Beliefs, Accountability, Culture Glad To Be Here Mindset, Gratitude John graduated from the US Naval Academy with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and was a defensive back for the Midshipmen. He was chosen as “Top Ten Carrier Pilot” six times before becoming an F/A-18 Instructor Pilot. He holds three master's degrees: MA in National Security & Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, Stanford Master of Science in Management, as a Sloan fellow from Stanford Graduate School of Business and MA in International Policy Studies from Stanford University. John was also a Fellow at Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation and was awarded an honorary PhD from UNAM, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. As the founder of the Glad To Be Here Foundation, he and his wife Carol have donated over 1.9 million dollars to over 347 charities worldwide and sponsor children in 47 countries. See all episodes >

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is John Foley. John is a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels. Being up in the sky, flying 18 inches apart from the next plane at 500 miles per hour requires intense communication and a deep understanding of what your role is. Also critical to this level of success is having trust in your team, and a commitment to continuous learning. As you'll hear, this is how John approaches all aspects of his life, including his personal finances. John is a former Sloan Fellow at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, leadership expert, speaker and Gratitude Guru. As a thought leader on high performance, John created the “Glad To Be Here” Mindset Methodology and the Diamond Performance Framework. As a Blue Angel, John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying an F-18 at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour and in formations as close as 18 inches apart. To survive in those circumstances, he relied on a culture of high trust and leadership that turned inherently unforgiving flight into extraordinary experiences. His presentations inspire individuals, teams and organizations around the world to reach their highest potential while sustaining excellence under dynamic change. For decades, John has shared his exciting, rare journey with audiences around the world, becoming one of the most in-demand leadership and performance experts. John has spoken on 5 continents, 20 countries and over 1000 events working with some of the world's top organizations such as; Google, Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, HP, Mercedes Benz, BMW, IBM, Hitachi, Chevron, BP, Marriott, Hilton, Penske Racing, Alabama Football, LA Kings, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Edward Jones, Fidelity, Mass Mutual, MetLife, Bank of America, Deloitte, IBM, Hershey, P&G, Philips, Etihad, America Hospital Association, Blue Cross and the Mayo Clinic. He has also been a featured speaker at NBA, MLB, MLS, NCAA, TedX, VC and CEO summits, Titan Summit, USNA Leadership Conference, Stanford Business School, University of Zurich, and Global Sports Summits. John keynote presentations, workshops and online curriculum support Individuals, Teams, Organizations with lessons in: High Performance, Leadership, Teamwork Trust, Beliefs, Accountability, Culture Glad To Be Here Mindset, Gratitude John graduated from the US Naval Academy with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and was a defensive back for the Midshipmen. He was chosen as “Top Ten Carrier Pilot” six times before becoming an F/A-18 Instructor Pilot. He holds three master's degrees: MA in National Security & Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, Stanford Master of Science in Management, as a Sloan fellow from Stanford Graduate School of Business and MA in International Policy Studies from Stanford University. John was also a Fellow at Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation and was awarded an honorary PhD from UNAM, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. As the founder of the Glad To Be Here Foundation, he and his wife Carol have donated over 1.9 million dollars to over 347 charities worldwide and sponsor children in 47 countries. Learn more about Money Tale$ > Subscribe to the podcast Recent episodes See all episodes > Form CRS Form ADV Terms of Use Privacy Rights and Policies

On this podcast, Maj. Waters, of Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1, sits down with Maj. Mason “Flint” Locke. In this episode, they discuss his pathway to become an F-16 Instructor Pilot, his upbringing in rural Texas, his journey through Reserve Officer Training, his combat deployment, and his perspective as an F-16 instructor. The "Pathway to Wings" is Air Force Recruiting Service, Detachment. 1's official podcast. This podcast is designed for those looking to become Air Force aviators, and is hosted by Air Force aviators. This podcast strives to inform, influence, and inspire our future leaders by sharing real stories and experiences of what it's like to fly and the process it took to get there.

Career pilots Mario Escalante, Jesse Smith, and Julian Herman share stories from life out in the wild blue yonder and advice for those seeking careers in aviation.Support the show

-Hunter Barnhill is an O2X Resilience Specialist and a former U.S. Air Force Bomber Pilot-He's logged over 700 hours in the B-52H Stratofortress and over 600 hours in the T-6A Texan II-As a B-52H pilot, Hunter led his crew in accomplishing a variety of missions including nuclear deterrence, close air support, air-to-ground, direct attack, and counter-drug.-In 2015, he volunteered to be an Instructor Pilot and was tasked with producing the Air Force's next generation of highly skilled and capable pilots. -On Easter Sunday 2017, he suffered a seizure caused by a previously undetected brain tumor which required immediate surgery to remove. He was subsequently diagnosed with malignant brain cancer, thus cutting short his military aviation career.-The diagnosis led him to develop a deeper respect for resiliency and a new-found passion for teaching others how to implement the life-saving and life-enriching skills into their own lives-The skills and techniques he once used to teach undergraduate pilots now enables him to teach and instruct thousands in developing and building their own resilience. -Hes a husband, father, and patriotDownload the O2X Tactical Performance App:app.o2x.comLet us know what you think:Website: http://o2x.comIG: https://instagram.com/o2xhumanperformance?igshid=1kicimx55xt4f

In this episode, I'm joined by Major Michelle Curran. Michelle has been in the air force for more than 10 years and is the Lead Solo Pilot in the US Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron. During Michelle's training and career as an Airforce Pilot, she rarely had other females around her and was often the only female in her classes.  I was so thrilled to have her on this show because when one of the first careers that came to mind when I first started this podcast was a fighter pilot. I just don't know how you can be more badass than that! Although the Airforce has made some great strides over the years, such as allowing women to fly combat aircraft in 1993, there are still very few women who do what she does. We discuss the foundations of building a good reputation, how you need to pick your battles, the role of a driven and goal-oriented mindset to thrive, and many more. Episode Highlights: How growing up in a rural area fostered her sense of adventure Her parents' support and guidance in her career The powerful first-time experience she had with jets as a child Why she didn't want to join the military as a teenager Why she chose the Air Force branch of the military Why she loves her F-16s Her day-to-day life as an Airforce Pilot How the pandemic affected her air shows and life in general How being athletic played a part in her training and career Sexist comments and how to deal with them Her advice for women who want to be in her field  About the guest: Michelle Curran is a Major in the United States Air Force, serving for about 10 years, and has logged over 1,300 flight hours. Already in her second season, she currently flies the No. 5 jet in the US Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron as the Lead Solo Pilot and has been a Thunderbird Pilot since September 2018.  In Afghanistan, she has more than 160 combat hours supporting the Operation Freedom's Sentinel and Operation Resolute Support. She was formerly a flight commander and an F-16 Instructor Pilot in Texas for three years since 2015. Prior to this, she was the Chief of Scheduling and F-16 Pilot in Japan from 2012-2015. She received her training as a student pilot from 2009 to 20011 in Columbus Mississippi and from 2011-2012 in Phoenix Arizona. In 2009, she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections from the University of St. Thomas and acquired her commission through Air Force ROTC. Michelle grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. In her downtime, she enjoys rock climbing, mountaineering, hiking, and being with her family. Connect with Michelle: Website US Airforce Thunderbirds LinkedIn @michelle-curran Facebook @macetbird6 Instagram @mace_tbird_5 Twitter @AFThunderbirds Youtube @afthunderbirds --- Did you enjoy today's episode? Please click here to leave a review for The 6%, with NancyMD. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out!  Do you know someone who might enjoy this episode? Share this episode to inspire and empower! Let's get social! Instagram @_nancymd Facebook @nancymdpdx Twitter @_nancymd LinkedIn @nancyyenshipleymd Website www.nancymd.com Subscribe to The 6%, with NancyMD ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Google Podcasts

This week I interview an incredible veteran Dan Foulds. While Dan began his career in the Air Force in various capacities from loading bombs onto B-52 aircraft, to managing the Officer's Club at MacDill AFB, he made the transition to becoming a US Army Flight Warrant Officer. After his first assignment he was asked to join a newly forming unit at Hunter Army Airfield, in Savannah, Georgia, the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment Airborne in 1989. Dan remained with the 160th SOAR until his retirement in 1998, serving as a Flight Lead and Instructor Pilot in the MH-47D aircraft. Dan deployed in January 1991 to Saudi Arabia and flew combat missions during Desert Storm into Iraq. In April 1996, he deployed with 3/160th SOAR to assist in the evacuation of noncombatants from the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia. The operation lasted just 10 days, during which the Night Stalkers assisted in evacuating more than 2,000 noncombatants with no losses to the regiment. After retiring from the Army, Dan flew EMS helicopters as a line pilot, training captain, aviation base manager, and travelling relief pilot for 17 years. These days you can find Dan captaining boats in the Savannah area and teaching others to do the same. ------------------------------------------------ Also available on Apple Podcasts, Anchor.fm, Castbox, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Just search for Thriving on Mission. Additional Links from the show: https://facebook.com/coachscorner https://www.savannahboater.com https://www.verticalmag.com/author/danielf/ https://www.nsa160.com/3/160-soara-savannah/ ----------------------------------------------- https://thrivingonmission.com

Christian Brechbuhl: "The thing I really love about the innovation space is the Airmen in it and people do amazing stuff like this all the time. If I had one message to people it's that you can do it too." Capt. Christian Brechbuhl is the Director of Innovation for Joint Base Charleston in S.C. and a C-17 Instructor Pilot. He's has attended multiple AFWERX events and is active in the Air Force Software development space. He is passionate about spending Airmen time on things only humans can do. During this episode, we discuss how Christian got involved in the Air Force's innovation ecosystem starting from building an application to solve a pain point all the way to leading an innovation cell. He shares his advice for others interested in working through problems and creating solutions in their organizations as well as the importance for self advocacy in your work. Resources Mentioned: - Airmen Coders: https://airmencoders.us/ - Palmetto Spark's COVID-19 Response: https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Features/Story/Article/2151701/innovation-team-at-charleston-tackles-covid-19-challenges/" If you enjoy the show, we'd love for you to review The DisruptiveAF Podcasts on Apple Podcasts! This helps us reach new people who would love to hear from our guests every week. Plus, we love to hear your thoughts on the show! For more about the podcast, visit https://www.afwerx.af.mil/podcast.html Follow AFWERX: Twitter: twitter.com/afwerx Instagram: instagram.com/afwerx Facebook: facebook.com/afwerx