Podcasts about operation desert shield desert storm

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the ninety-seventh episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by COL Ricky Taylor, the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guest is the Commanding General for XVIII Airborne Corps, LTG Gregory Anderson.    The XVIII Airborne Corps was founded in January of 1942 just five weeks after the US entered World War II at what was previously called Camp Polk (what would become Ft. Johnson). They saw extensive service during World War II, throughout much of the various conflicts of the Cold War, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm, and in support of the Global War on Terror. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America's Contingency Corps." They have the Hollywood call-sign of “Sky Dragons” or simply as “Dragon” and the motto of “All the Way.”   In this episode, we provide a comprehensive overview of warfighting in large-scale combat operations (LSCO), highlighting lessons learned from division and corps-level training, planning, and execution. A key focus is the importance of mastering the fundamentals—fieldcraft, tactical movement, and field maintenance—particularly at the platoon through battalion level. Leaders discuss the tension between prioritizing high-end, division-level collective training and maintaining basic soldier tasks. Another major theme is the underutilization of the military decision-making process (MDMP), especially the lack of commander involvement and the widespread tendency to skip or rush through key steps such as wargaming and time horizon management. The discussion emphasizes that MDMP is not just a staff exercise; it is a leadership-driven process that must be rehearsed and refined to achieve synchronization and shared understanding across formations.   Additional topics include sustainment operations at scale, the role of the corps in shaping the deep fight and enabling the division's close fight, and the enduring value of reconnaissance across all echelons. The episode critiques assumptions that technology can replace people, stressing instead that tools should enhance—not substitute—human decision-making. Best practices highlighted include commanders conducting and attending rehearsals using real planning products, emphasizing command-to-command dialogue, and enforcing the disciplined use of planning and training management tools such as the 8-step model. The episode concludes with a call for leaders to think creatively, embrace simplicity in execution, and invest in building resilient, cohesive teams. Ultimately, success in LSCO hinges not just on equipment or doctrine but on disciplined training, adaptive leadership, and a relentless focus on fundamentals.   Part of S01 “The Leader's Laboratory” series.   Don't forget to check-out XVIII Airborne Corps' social media pages, their handles are ‘XVIII Airborne Corps' on Facebook, ‘18airbornecorps' on X, and ‘18thairbornecorps' on Instagram as well as LTG Anderson's previous episode as the CG for 10th Mountain Division, episodes fifty-six of ‘The Crucible.'   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the thirty-first episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today's guest is the Commanding General of XVIII Airborne Corps, LTG Christopher Donahue.   The XVIII Airborne Corps was founded in January of 1942 just five weeks after the US entered World War II at what was previously called Camp Polk (what would become Ft. Johnson). They saw extensive service during World War II, throughout much of the various conflicts of the Cold War, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm, and in support of the Global War on Terror. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America's Contingency Corps." They have the Hollywood call-sign of “Sky Dragons” or simply as “Dragon” and the motto of “All the Way.”   In this episode they discuss the evolution of training to ensure that the U.S. Army is prepared to conduct large scale combat operations across multiple domains. We discuss some of the modernization efforts that XVIII ABN is undergoing as well as the skillsets required at the tactical level to be a learning organization. Leaders must strive to not only meet the challenges today but anticipate the challenges of tomorrow and this requires leaders to shape their organizations in the following ways: Must be able to adapt and integrate. Must be able to understand your environment. Ability to utilize data in all its waveforms. Employ the various forms of mass across multiple domains. Leaders at echelon must strive to set the conditions for success for their subordinate commands. In layman's terms, we want to ensure that your people are provided an unfair advantage over their opponent. Common leader habits, regardless of echelon: show-up everyday & compete; build resiliency in yourself & your team; and disciplined initiative.   Part of S01 “The Leader's Laboratory” series.   Don't forget to check-out XVIII Airborne Corps' social media pages, their handles are ‘XVIII Airborne Corps' on Facebook, ‘18airbornecorps' on X, and ‘18thairbornecorps' on Instagram.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the twenty-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today's guest is the Brigade Commander for 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne, COL Richard “Ricky” Taylor.   The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment has the honor of being one of the oldest airborne units in the U.S. military as they were activated in June 1942 during World War II and earned four of its five combat jumps during the fierce fighting of WWII. (The fifth being earned during Operation Urgent Fury to restore a free government to Grenada in October 1983.) After the Vietnam War, the 505th PIR participated in various military operations. Among them were Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation Inherent Resolve. They have the Hollywood call-sign of “Panther” and the motto of “H-Minus.”   In this episode, we discuss some of the lessons learned for brigade and battalion leaders during large-scale combat operations. COL Taylor summarized it as: Being humble and being coachable Importance of synchronization of fire and maneuver Battlefield Circulation of Key Leaders Commander's Role in the Planning Process Defining risk vs. opportunity & communicating that with DIV HQ A reoccurring theme on the podcast, is the acknowledgement that those that learn fastest on the battlefield are almost always the ones whom succeed on the battlefield. Senior leaders within the brigade mentor junior leaders with special emphasis on company commanders and captains across the staff on both the art and science of conducting combined arms maneuver in LSCO. Specifically, leaders should come prepared to discuss the following 8 questions at every planning session: What's your combat-power and your projected slant for the next 24hrs? What do you know about the enemy? What's your composition / disposition? What's the enemy's composition / disposition? What are your concerns & risks at your echelon? Do you have any recommendations? What are your logistics / sustainment concerns? What are your planning horizons?   Part of S02 “If I Would Have Only Known” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.  

Bringing you the latest in solar, wind, and energy storage news and views. Co-hosts Tim Montague and John Weaver (Commercial Solar Guy and PV Magazine journalist) break down the tools, technologies, and trends that are speeding the energy transition. We are on a mission to decarbonize the economy and create a safer healthier future for humanity. Give us a rating and review on Apple or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. Reach out to us: tim@cleanpowerhour.com | www.CleanPowerHour.com Join us LIVE each Thursday at 12 noon EST / 9 AM PacificThis week I am joined by Chris Lettman. Chris started his career in solar energy in 2009 selling turnkey systems to residential and mid-size commercial properties.  Since that time, he has been involved in the development, acquisition, and construction of numerous large commercial-scale and utility-scale solar projects throughout the United States.  Chris has extensive experience and knowledge in the areas of project development, project finance, and equipment sales.  Chris is currently representing Hyperion Solar for module sales across the US and is the founder and president of CL Green Energy Consulting, which advises investors/owners on project acquisition in the utility-scale markets. Chris is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and served in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He holds an MBA in Business from the University of Redlands California and currently lives in Southern California. Connect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTube Tim on Twitter Tim on LinkedIn Email tgmontague@gmail.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Please subscribe on your favorite audio platform and on Youtube: bit.ly/cph-sub | www.CleanPowerHour.com | Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com | Speeding the energy transition! Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/Twice a week we highlight the tools, technologies, and innovators that are making the clean energy transition a reality - on Apple,The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance ...

Lauren Kay Johnson is just seven when she first experiences a sacrifice of war as her mother, a nurse in the Army Reserves, deploys in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. A decade later, in the wake of 9/11, Lauren signs her own military contract and deploys to a small Afghan province with a non-combat nation-building team. Through her role as the team's information operations officer-the filter between the U.S. military and the Afghan and international publics-and through interviews and letters from her mother's service, Lauren investigates the role of information in war and in interpersonal relationships, often wrestling with the truth in stories we read and hear from the media and official sources, and in those stories we tell ourselves and our families. A powerful generational coming-of-age narrative against the backdrop of war, The Fine Art of Camouflage (MilSpeak Books, 2023) reveals the impact from a child's perspective of watching her mother leave and return home to a hero's welcome to that of a young idealist volunteering to deploy to Afghanistan who, war-worn, eventually questions her place in the war, the military, and her family history-and their place within her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Lauren Kay Johnson is just seven when she first experiences a sacrifice of war as her mother, a nurse in the Army Reserves, deploys in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. A decade later, in the wake of 9/11, Lauren signs her own military contract and deploys to a small Afghan province with a non-combat nation-building team. Through her role as the team's information operations officer-the filter between the U.S. military and the Afghan and international publics-and through interviews and letters from her mother's service, Lauren investigates the role of information in war and in interpersonal relationships, often wrestling with the truth in stories we read and hear from the media and official sources, and in those stories we tell ourselves and our families. A powerful generational coming-of-age narrative against the backdrop of war, The Fine Art of Camouflage (MilSpeak Books, 2023) reveals the impact from a child's perspective of watching her mother leave and return home to a hero's welcome to that of a young idealist volunteering to deploy to Afghanistan who, war-worn, eventually questions her place in the war, the military, and her family history-and their place within her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

Lauren Kay Johnson is just seven when she first experiences a sacrifice of war as her mother, a nurse in the Army Reserves, deploys in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. A decade later, in the wake of 9/11, Lauren signs her own military contract and deploys to a small Afghan province with a non-combat nation-building team. Through her role as the team's information operations officer-the filter between the U.S. military and the Afghan and international publics-and through interviews and letters from her mother's service, Lauren investigates the role of information in war and in interpersonal relationships, often wrestling with the truth in stories we read and hear from the media and official sources, and in those stories we tell ourselves and our families. A powerful generational coming-of-age narrative against the backdrop of war, The Fine Art of Camouflage (MilSpeak Books, 2023) reveals the impact from a child's perspective of watching her mother leave and return home to a hero's welcome to that of a young idealist volunteering to deploy to Afghanistan who, war-worn, eventually questions her place in the war, the military, and her family history-and their place within her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Lauren Kay Johnson is just seven when she first experiences a sacrifice of war as her mother, a nurse in the Army Reserves, deploys in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. A decade later, in the wake of 9/11, Lauren signs her own military contract and deploys to a small Afghan province with a non-combat nation-building team. Through her role as the team's information operations officer-the filter between the U.S. military and the Afghan and international publics-and through interviews and letters from her mother's service, Lauren investigates the role of information in war and in interpersonal relationships, often wrestling with the truth in stories we read and hear from the media and official sources, and in those stories we tell ourselves and our families. A powerful generational coming-of-age narrative against the backdrop of war, The Fine Art of Camouflage (MilSpeak Books, 2023) reveals the impact from a child's perspective of watching her mother leave and return home to a hero's welcome to that of a young idealist volunteering to deploy to Afghanistan who, war-worn, eventually questions her place in the war, the military, and her family history-and their place within her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Lauren Kay Johnson is just seven when she first experiences a sacrifice of war as her mother, a nurse in the Army Reserves, deploys in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. A decade later, in the wake of 9/11, Lauren signs her own military contract and deploys to a small Afghan province with a non-combat nation-building team. Through her role as the team's information operations officer-the filter between the U.S. military and the Afghan and international publics-and through interviews and letters from her mother's service, Lauren investigates the role of information in war and in interpersonal relationships, often wrestling with the truth in stories we read and hear from the media and official sources, and in those stories we tell ourselves and our families. A powerful generational coming-of-age narrative against the backdrop of war, The Fine Art of Camouflage (MilSpeak Books, 2023) reveals the impact from a child's perspective of watching her mother leave and return home to a hero's welcome to that of a young idealist volunteering to deploy to Afghanistan who, war-worn, eventually questions her place in the war, the military, and her family history-and their place within her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we sit down with Ray Murphy~!Ray is a US Marine veteran 0331 who served with the 1st Battalion 2nd Marines STA platoon during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. After the Marines, Ray attended Illinois State University, where he graduated with a BS in Criminal Justice Sciences.He is the owner and founder of Koru K9 Dog Training and HRD Police K9, serving as a trusted advisor and trainer to some of the most elite law enforcement K9 units across the country. The focus of HRD Police K9 is to create intense scenario based training to help save lives on the street.Ray has first hand knowledge with complex PTSD, and the short falls of existing treatment options especially within the VA system. He has personally attended Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica and can speak to the use of Ayahuasca Ceremonies as an effective treatment for PTSD as well as the importance of set and setting when choosing a safe treatment option.Knowing what is expected from our men and women in the military and/or law enforcement, he felt more needs to be done to actually help them deal with the crushing symptoms of PTSD he started Warriors Healing Network to give those in need the opportunity to get back in the fight for their lives.

Scott Huesing is a retired United States Marine Corps Infantry Major with 24 years of service, including 10 deployments to over 60 countries worldwide. He has led hundreds of combat missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa, and since then he's authored the bestselling book, Echo in Ramadi, which tells the story of his experiences and the sacrifices of his fellow Marines during the Second Battle of Ramadi in 2006. Today, Scott serves as the Executive Director of Save the Brave, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and active duty military personnel. But regardless of the time that's passed since, one thing's for sure - Scott still feels the Echoes of Ramadi, in one way or another. ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:45 - California & Texas03:45 - Morning Routine09:30 - The Waukegan Kid14:45 - Genetically Predisposed16:45 - Operation Desert Shield Desert Storm 25:43 - A Criminal Justice Degree 28:00 - Becoming an Infantry Officer33:00 - Generational Differences35:00 - So We Were Living in Saddam's Palace...40:00 - The Impact of 9/1145:30 - On Hazing48:00 - Boots on the Ground56:30 - Working For the Government1:04:30 - The First Ramadi Gunfight1:06:00 - Corporal Libby1:13:00 - Where the 2nd Amendment Doesn't Work1:23:00 - Active City Tactics1:35:30 - Dog Day Afternoons1:38:30 - Fighting in the Al Anbar Province1:45:30 - The Meaning of 'Echo in Ramadi'1:48:30 - Homeward Bound1:54:30 - Expeditioning in the Horn of Africa1:57:30 - ... But Do You Miss It?2:00:30 - Getting Into Nonprofit Work2:05:30 - Save the Brave----------Support Scott Huesing: Veteran Support - Save the Brave: https://savethebrave.org/Book - Echo in Ramadi: The Firsthand Story of US Marines in Iraq's Deadliest City: https://amzn.to/3Gn5LChWebsite - Echo in Ramadi: https://bit.ly/3iiHXXWFB: https://www.facebook.com/EchoinRamadiIG: https://www.instagram.com/echoinramadi/------------Sponsors:MUD/WTRGo to mudwtr.com/mike to support the show and use code MIKE for 15% off!------------Bubs NaturalsThe BUBS namesake derives from Glen ‘BUB' Doherty, who was heroically killed in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. In addition to remembering Glen for the patriot he is, the BUBS ethos centers around the passionate and adventure seeking life that Glen lived. BUBS Naturals products are rooted in sustainably sourced ingredients and controlled consistency to provide our customers with the highest quality Collagen Protein & MCT Oil Powder that help you feel amazing and live a fuller life.Our mission is simple. FEEL GREAT. DO GOOD. 10% always goes back to charity, helping military men and women transition back into civilian life. Go to bubsnaturals.com and use code MIKEDROP for 20% off your order.------------Athletic GreensAthletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE Travel Packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit https://www.athleticgreens.com/MIKEDROP------------Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.petALL THINGS MIKE RITLANDSHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs- MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.comTeam Dog Online dog training- TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

On today's episode, Dennis speaks with founder of Warriors Healing Network & HRD Police K9 training, Ray Murphy. Ray is a US Marine veteran 0331 who served with the 1st Battalion 2nd Marines STA platoon during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. After the Marines, Ray attended Illinois State University, where he graduated with a BS in Criminal Justice Sciences. He is the owner and founder of Koru K9 Dog Training and HRD Police K9, serving as a trusted advisor and trainer to some of the most elite law enforcement K9 units across the country. The focus of HRD Police K9 is to create intense scenario based training to help save lives on the street. Ray has first hand knowledge with complex PTSD, and the short falls of existing treatment options especially within the VA system. He has personally attended Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica and can speak to the use of Ayahuasca Ceremonies as an effective treatment for PTSD as well as the importance of set and setting when choosing a safe treatment option. Knowing what is expected from our men and women in the military and/or law enforcement, he felt more needs to be done to actually help them deal with the crushing symptoms of PTSD he started Warriors Healing Network to give those in need the opportunity to get back in the fight for their lives. Find out more about Warriors Healing Network here: https://warriorshealingnetwork.org/ If you like what you are hearing and want to stay in the loop with the latest in Street Cop Training, please follow our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/StreetCopTraining Don't forget to subscribe and rate the podcast, it truly helps! Sign up for classes here: https://streetcoptraining.com/course-list/Follow our podcast here: https://streetcoptraining.com/street-cop-podcast/ or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/street-cop-podcast/id1538474515

Oak is the author of the 2021 release, Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be. Based on 40+ years of leadership in the U.S. Army and subsequent civilian positions, Oak highlights principles that will benefit today's leaders and inspire the leaders of tomorrow. Oak is also a well-known speaker who gives presentations on a variety of topics including leadership, success, military history, college preparation and others.During his 23-year career in the Army, Oak McCulloch held numerous leadership positions in the Infantry and Armor branches. He assisted in disaster relief operations for Hurricane HUGO in Charleston, SC and Hurricane ANDREW in south Florida. Oak's operational deployments include: Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a General's Aide-de-Camp; Support operations in Bosnia as a Congressional Liaison Officer; and A peacekeeping deployment to Kosovo as an Operations Officer. https://www.linkedin.com/in/oakland-mcculloch-34293256 https://www.ltcoakmcculloch.com/

Willis is a retired Command Master Chief after completing 32 years of service in Navy Medicine.  In this episode, CMC Willis discusses his pathway to becoming a Navy Corpsman and the unique aspects of delivering shipboard medical and marine medical Care.  He deployed to both Desert Storm/Desert Shield and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He discusses the role of the Corpsman in combat and the preparations for combat care. He also gives excellent insight into Senior Enlisted Leadership and the challenges and his tips on handling difficult leaders and positively shaping subordinates who may not fully understand the mission. He discusses why he volunteered to join the board of WarDocs and how he hopes this organization will help positively impact military medicine, capture history, and increase public awareness.   CMC(Ret) Willis has held several senior enlisted positions at all levels, retiring as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Defense Health Agency, Capital Region Directorate. He has deployed several times around the world to include Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom with Marines and sailors.  He received his BS and MBA from Grantham University. He is currently employed at the Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences as a Recruitment Specialist for Diversity. He has had unique and interesting experiences during his distinguished Navy Medicine career and beyond. He shares important lessons learned and recommendations through engaging stories and personal reflection.   Find out more and join Team WarDocs at www.wardocspodcast.com               Honoring Military Medicine's Past to Improve Healthcare's Future The WarDocs Mission is to improve military and civilian healthcare and foster patriotism by honoring the legacy, preserving the oral history, and showcasing career opportunities, experiences, and achievements of military medicine. Listen to the “What We Are For” Episode 47. https://bit.ly/3r87Afm WarDocs- The Military Medicine Podcast is a Non-Profit, Tax-exempt-501(c)(3) Veteran Run Organization run by volunteers. All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of donations go to honoring and preserving the history, experiences, successes, and lessons learned in military medicine. A tax receipt will be sent to you. WARDOCS documents the experiences, contributions, and innovations of all military medicine Services, ranks, and Corps who are affectionately called "Docs" as a sign of respect, trust, and confidence on and off the battlefield,demonstrating dedication to the medical care of fellow comrades in arms.         Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @wardocspodcast Facebook: WarDocs Podcast Instagram: @wardocspodcast LinkedIn: WarDocs-The Military Medicine Podcast

Yes, that is how Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon describes himself. Skip has served as an internal Medicine physician in the Army rising to the rank of colonel.   Throughout much of his life, Skip has also been a wrestler competitor, and he has been good at the sport.   In 2014 Skip discovered that he was suffering from a deep depression. As he worked through his condition and emerged from it he also wrote his Amazon Bestselling book entitled Wrestling Depression Is Not For Wimps.   I very much enjoyed my interview with Skip Mondragon and I sincerely hope that you will as well and that Skip's conversation and stories will inspire you.   About the Guest: Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon, MD is a transformed tough guy. Since recovering from depression in 2014, he's been on a quest to help ten million men struggling with depression, one man at a time. He's practiced Internal Medicine for over thirty years. Colonel Mondragon is a twenty-six-year Army veteran, spent eighteen months in combat zones, and is a national wrestling champion. Skip's book Wrestling Depression Is Not for Wimps! was published in February 2020 and is the author of Inspired Talks Volume 3, an Amazon International Bestseller. He's spoken on different stages, including at TEDXGrandviewHeights in December 2021. Skip's true claim to fame is his five independent and gainfully employed children, his four amazing grandchildren, and especially his wife Sherry. She's a fellow author and a tough Army wife. Sherry has endured raising teenagers on her own, a variety of moves to new duty stations, and far too many of Skip's idiosyncrasies for forty-one years of marriage.   Skip can be reached at: Email: skipmondragon@transformedtoughguys.com Website: www.transformedtoughguys.com Book: www.amazon.com/author/skipmondragon LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/skip-mondragon-66a-2b436 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkipWNW/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkipWnw   About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is an Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes* Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:21 Good morning or afternoon wherever you happen to be and welcome to unstoppable mindset. Today, our guest is Donald  “Skip” Mondragon. I met Donald not too long ago, actually at podapolooza. And we've talked about that before. It's an event where podcasters would be podcasters. And people who want to be interviewed by podcasters all get together. Sometimes one person has all three at once. But I met Skip. And we talked a little bit and I said would you be interested and willing to come on the podcast? And he said yes. So now he's stuck with us? Because here we are. Skip. How are you?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  01:58 I am doing great. Michael, delighted to be here.   Michael Hingson  02:02 Now where are you located?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  02:04 I am in the Dallas Fort Worth area.   Michael Hingson  02:06 So there you go two hours ahead of where we are and any fires nearby? Hopefully not. No, sir.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  02:14 Thank you, Lord,   Michael Hingson  02:15 right now us the same way. And we're, we're blessed by that. But it is getting hot in both places, isn't   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  02:22 it? Oh, yes, indeed.   Michael Hingson  02:25 Well, tell me a little bit about you, maybe your early life and so on. And you know, we'll kind of go from there.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  02:31 Yes, sir. And the third of eight children born of Hispanic parents, but meager means but born in Denver, Colorado. My father went to the Korean War, and came back a broken man. The man that went to war was not the man that came home. He suffered, I'm convinced with bipolar disorder, PTSD, and he was an alcoholic. And when my dad drank, he was violent. My sister, my eldest sister, Roma tells us that when my dad would come home, we would run and hide, because we didn't know which dad was coming home. The kind, gentle, fun loving dad for the angry mean, violent dad. So this was my early childhood. I actually don't have memories before the age of seven, other than a couple little fleeting memories. So I don't remember a lot of that I get history really from my sister, my older sister,   Michael Hingson  03:33 I help that because he's just blocked it out or something worse.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  03:37 Yes. It's it's gone. Those I just don't have those memories are not accessible. But that was my early childhood. It was chaotic. It was. It was chaotic. It was traumatic. But I came from very loving family. Eight, you know, seven siblings were all close in age. 10 years separate us. We're still close to this day enjoy being together with one another loud, boisterous. Or they're very affectionate. No. My siblings are in Texas. I have a brother in the Baltimore area, Maryland, one in Raleigh, North Carolina. I'm here in Texas. The others are all in Colorado.   Michael Hingson  04:20 So I guess with a number in Colorado, that's the meeting place.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  04:25 Yes, sir. Between my wife and I, my mother is the only living parent. And so we go back home as we call it to his in Colorado. Yes.   Michael Hingson  04:36 Well, there's nothing wrong with that. Indeed. So you grew up? Did you go to college?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  04:45 Yes, sir. tended start my college career at the University of Notre Dame ROTC scholarship, left there, in my fifth semester confused, not quite sure what I was going to do. There's this tug, am I going to go into ministry or says medicine I was pre med at the time I left school I was out of school for three plus three and a half years trying to decide what I was going to do. And then I transferred into all Roberts University where I finished my undergraduate work for Roshan first in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And their I went to medical school and it's there for you that I met my sweetheart sherry. And this year we celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary,   Michael Hingson  05:30 Pierre just ahead of us by a year and a half, I guess because we will, our 40s will be in November. No congratulation, which is great. Now, we knew the marriage was gonna last I'm, I'm gonna get shot for this, I'm sure but we knew our marriage was gonna last because the wedding was supposed to start at four in the afternoon on Saturday, the 27th of November of 90. Yes, and the church was not filled up like it was supposed to be at four o'clock. And it got to be an I remember it well for 12 Suddenly, the doors opened and this whole crowd of people came in. And so we started although it was 14 or 12 minutes late, or 15 by the time they got in chair. And it wasn't until later that we learned that everyone was out in their cars until the end of the USC Notre Dame game. Being here in California, my wife getting her master's from USC, oh my gosh, we knew the marriage was gonna last when we learned that not what USC want the snot out of Notre Dame that   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  06:45 we took some weapons from USC, I'll be it you back. I was at Notre Dame that year that we we beat them and went on to win the national championship and 73. So that that was a turn of events, if you will, after taking some real whippings the years preceding that from USC.   Michael Hingson  07:07 I you know, I gain an appreciation for football and all seriousness. When it was a couple of years later, I was in Los Angeles and I had a meeting. And somebody was listening on the radio and keeping us apprised the fact that at the end of the first half Notre Dame was leading USC 24 to nothing. And then I got in the car and we started going home. And USC started scoring and scoring. It was with Anthony Davis and man who know about that game, and by the time it was over was 55 Switch 24 USC. But it's a great rivalry. And I'm glad it exists.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  07:50 Right. I think the next year is when they came to South Bend. And they hug hug him in effigy. So I remember they had this thing there. And it's   Michael Hingson  08:00 like the USC, USC, don't let him run against us like that again.   Michael Hingson  08:09 What makes it fun? And as long as it's a game like that, and people view it that way. It's great.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  08:16 There you go. It's a game. That's all it needs to be. Don't   Michael Hingson  08:19 take it too seriously by any means. No, sir. But it's a lot of fun. So, after Oral Roberts and so on you you went off and had some adventures?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  08:32 Yes, sir. What kind of happen next? Well, I went to do further training, internship and residency and Canton, Ohio. And there was a turn of events I had expected I was going to do a military internship and go on and complete my residency with the military. But I received this Dear John letter, approximately six weeks before the interview season was going to close the army telling me I did not receive an army internship and I had to pursue a civilian internship, I think and are you kidding me? I was supposed to be in the Army next year, I hadn't even looked at civilian internships. And so I was scrambling. This was a day maybe days before the internet. You had to go to the library, look up programs, phone numbers, call them find out what they needed. So you could apply to that program what documents they needed send to each program individually, the documents the letters, arrange a flight. Now they have a centralized application system. So you complete one application, your letters of reference are all uploaded there. Then you decide which programs you want the sent to wait. So I'm doing this video post taste. Making this application season is ending Christmas is going to be approaching and then there's nothing going to get done. So I gotta get this done. And it was it was hectic ended up in Canton, Ohio. And it was fabulous. I had the best of both worlds great academics, fabulous clinical teaching. And it just so happened. The new program director was retired brigadier general Andre J. Augmentee. And he scared the snot out of us.   Michael Hingson  10:22 What year was this? What year did this take place?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  10:26 I arrived there in 1985. Got it.   Michael Hingson  10:29 So he scared the snot out of you. Oh   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  10:31 my gosh, we call them Dr. Rowe, the big O or the Oh. And when he was when he was coming, we were like, Oh, no deals coming Fall, we'd be at Morning Report, we'd be talking about new cases that were admitted the night before. And he'd asked me to present the case or ask questions. And I would feel like I I felt like the voices on Charlie Brown. Go home and I tell my wife, oh, I can't seem to answer one interview. Question intelligently. When he is around, he must think I'm the stupidest intern he has ever seen. I I just get so flustered when he was around. I went down in a few months them because I was planning on doing physical medicine rehabilitation. But I had really fallen in love with internal medicine. Because my first few months were on the general internal medicine wards, and then a month in the internal or the intensive care unit. And I really fell in love with internal medicine, went to them and talk and said Dr. Rowe, I I'd like to talk to you. I am interested in drone medicine. But I don't know that I could be a good internist, I remember him looking at me and say, Skip, you could be a good interest. In fact, you could be a very good internist. And we'd love to keep you in the program. I could write letters that are permanent, so you can stay on the program and train here. That was a turning point for me. You away. He actually became very good friends. My last year, he actually asked me to be the chief president. I didn't accept because we were expecting our third child at that time preparing to move to join the army and I just couldn't put that pressure on my wife at that time. But we're still good friends to this day. Yes, wife. So it went from being that Bumbly Ugg boots, intern to a competent senior resident to friendship as the years went on.   Michael Hingson  12:49 So he figured you out and obviously saw something you and you kind of figured him out a little bit it sounds like oh, yes,   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  12:57 sir. Yes, sir.   Michael Hingson  12:59 Where is he today?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  13:01 He is here in Texas. He is outside of San Antonio. He and his wife Margaret. A little   Michael Hingson  13:06 bit closer than Canton, Ohio.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  13:09 Oh yes sir.   Michael Hingson  13:11 Well, that's great that you guys are still friends and you can see each other that is that is the way it ought to be. In the end, it's it's always great when you can establish a relationship with the teacher. You know, I wrote thunder dog the story of a blind man his guide dog in the triumph of trust at ground zero when I talked in there about Dick herbal Shimer, my geometry teacher. And to this day, we are still friends and chat on the phone on a regular basis.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  13:41 That reminds me of my junior high wrestling coach John Gregerson. We were great friends to this day. And we hadn't seen one another for almost 1015 plus years. I'd seen him at the I think it was the 1992 1994 NCAA Wrestling Championships division one in North Carolina, and hadn't seen him to till 2000. Approximately 2015, something like that, when seen one another, but got in touch with him because he had moved back when he retired from teaching there in Colorado. He moved to Wyoming, then moved back to Colorado, gotten in touch with him said to get in touch with you, John, we met when another talks just just like we hadn't been apart. And I remember upon leaving, talking Adam say, John, I love you. And he looked at me and says, I love you too. And a great man, great relationship. And there's so much affection in my heart and appreciation for that man. The things he taught me.   Michael Hingson  14:56 So wrestling is a part of your life, I   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  14:58 guess. Oh my goodness. It's in my blood.   Michael Hingson  15:03 Well tell me about that a little bit.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  15:05 Please. Oh, yes, I, I was miserable at sports any sport. Growing up, I didn't know how to throw I didn't know how to catch. I don't know how to kick. I didn't know how to run. I failed that tetherball. Okay. So I didn't know the skills, I wasn't taught the skills. So wrestling was the first sport that went out for an eighth grade that I thought after if you practice, I think I can be good at this. And IBM think i think i could be really good at this. That was the first time that I wasn't having to compete against boys that were a lot bigger than I was. Because I was typically the smallest kid in my class. And so I was wrestling in the 85 pound weight class in eighth grade, good lowest weight class. I was having good success. Only eighth grader on the varsity team. I didn't win a match that year. But I learned lots I gained a lot of confidence. The next year come in and the rest of the room. I'm the best wrestler in that wrestling. But I get so worked up before a match. I couldn't sleep a wink all night long. So I'd go into that match utterly exhausted mentally and physically. underperform. However, the summer afterwards, I won my first tournament I entered was a state freestyle wrestling tournament, one of the Olympic styles. When my first match, my second, my third match, win my fourth match. Now I'm wrestling for the championship. And I went after that my coach asked me, you know who this guy was you're wrestling have no idea coach. And he said that guy won this tournament last year. And that further cemented my love for this sport went on. He was a two time district champion in high schools, state runner up and honorable mention All American. So I had a lot of success. Moreso in freestyle wrestling a lot of state tournaments I won many state tournaments placed into Nash national wrestling tournaments as a high schooler and then after. After that, I've wrestled some in college and some in freestyle also. But last time it competed was in 2012 and 2013. In the veterans nationals.   Michael Hingson  17:33 How did that go?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  17:35 Oh, how did that go? It went great. I had been wanting to compete again. At ba I still had that bug. Oh, I'd like to do this. The dates the training. I couldn't work that in. But I'm sitting up in the stands watching the state finals of the of the Georgia state finals with my youngest son Joey, he had completed his wrestling career had he not been ill and injured. He would have been wrestling on that stage that night. He was one of the best hunter and 12 pounders in the state of Georgia, but being ill and injured, he wasn't there wrestling that night. So we're watching this I had this wrestling magazine. I think it was USA Wrestling and I'm looking at these dates. Veterans national so it's gonna be held in conjunction with the senior nationals and I'm looking at this. Tucson, Arizona, May 5, and sixth I say Joey, she'll train with me. I'd like to compete. Well, my 18 year old son looks and he goes, Okay, Dad, you're gonna have to do everything I tell you. So Joey became my training partner, my trainer and my manager retrained hard, very hard. So this was mid February. And at first week in May, we're going out to Tucson. Those first six weeks and I was in great shape. I mean, I trained worked out like a fanatic, but those first few weeks, you know, oh my gosh, you know, I'd come home from practice. Oh, my wife and go Have you had enough old man. I think I'm gonna go soak in the tub, honey. I'd sit on the couch with ice on a shoulder or knee or elbow or sometimes all of those week. By week, my body toughen and there was the day I got up. Because I added an early morning workout in addition to my afternoon workouts, bring my weight down help a little bit with the conditioning. And my feet hit the floor. I got out to do my workout. I thought Oh, am I feeling good? I thought Joey, you better bring your A game today because your man is feeling good. So we went out to Tucson won a national championship. And we're sitting there taking this picture with the stop sign of a trophy. Now that I got here, it's big that Joey asked me Dad, was it worth it? All those hot baths, all those ice packs? And I look at him and grin. I say, Yes, it was worth. I had a blast. The next year was a national runner up. So those were the last times I competed, but I've coached I've been around the sport. My sons all wrestled my four sons, my brothers. For my four brothers. They're all younger. They all wrestled my brother in law wrestled my father in law was a college wrestler. Wrestling is in my blood. In fact, my kids call me a wrestling groupie. Because I collect wrestling cards. I get wrestling card sign, I get poster side I mug with all these wrestling greats have friends with World Champions and Olympic champions. That's my blood.   Michael Hingson  20:56 What's the difference between the Olympic style wrestling and I guess other forms like freestyle wrestling, and so on?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  21:02 Okay, so freestyle and Greco Roman are the two Olympic styles. primary difference in those two styles is in Greco Roman, you can't attack the legs. That's the difference in those two. Now, the difference in our style, whether we call school boy or sometimes it's called catches catch can is you also have what we call a a Down and up position that are done differently the way that is in the scoring. To score for instance, a takedown when you take them to the mat, you have to have more control in freestyle is much faster or in in Greco you don't have to show the control, you just have to show the exposure of the back. Plus, you can get a five point move with a high flying exposure, the back or if you take a patient or a an opponent from feet to back in freestyle Aggreko, you can get four points for I said, if it's high flying five points, potentially. Whereas in freestyle, our in our style Americans out, it's two points for a takedown doesn't matter. Take them straight to the back, you could get additional points by exposing the back, if you help hold them there long enough, we'll call a nearfall. And then there's writing time. So if you're on the top position, and you control that man for a minute or longer, you're getting writing time. So there's those factors that that you have. So it's it's and the rules are, are somewhat different. So those are the basic differences in our style and the freedom and the Olympic styles.   Michael Hingson  22:41 But wrestling scoring is pretty much then absolutely objective. It's not subjective. It's not an opinion sort of thing. There are specifics,   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  22:51 there are specifics, but then you get into those subjective things. Yeah, it's a caution. It's a stall. It's it's this and you're saying, Are you kidding me? Or they say that's not a takedown you're going What? What do you mean, that's not a takedown? You gotta be blind not to call that thing. So there's still some subjectivity to it. Sure. There is, you know, are they miss? They miss something, the ref misses something in your thing. And you got to be blind dude, you know, that was   Michael Hingson  23:17 a tape. That's an answer. No, no, no. No, here's, here's my question. Is there ever been a time that both wrestlers go after the riff? You know, just check in?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  23:29 I have never seen I have seen some, some, some come off there and give up. You know, escaping something. Yeah, you do to me, your GP and we have to say though, never leave it in the hands of the ref. Never leave it in the hands of the ref. And you you don't want to leave a match in the hands of the ref that don't let it come down to that. Wrestle your match. So there's no question.   Michael Hingson  23:55 Well, so you have wrestled a lot. You went from Canton then I guess you joined the army.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  24:02 Correct? joined the army. Uh huh.   Michael Hingson  24:05 Well, if you would tell me a little bit about about that and what you did and so on.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  24:10 1989 Our first duty station, Lawton, Oklahoma Fort Sill out there on this dreary day, January 3, I believe is gray, dark, you know, overcast, cold, only new to people. My sponsor and his wife. They were the only people we knew when we arrived. I had gone earlier to rent a home for us. And then we were waiting. We our household goods were arriving. Got there. We had three young children. Adam was for Christmas too. And Anjali was four months old. We get there we're moving in. getting settled. I'm in processing to the arm mean, everything's new to us. And then I start practicing as a doctor had two colleagues and internal medicine, within six months of me joining the army or if you will come in on active duty, I shouldn't say joining I had already been on inactive status in the army, going through school and training, but getting their report sale, they turn around and say, well, you're one colleague, like Keith conkel, was named. He's going to do a fellowship, infectious disease. And then my other colleague, Lee selfmade, or senior colleague in internal medicine was chief of the clinic chief of the ICU, he decided very abruptly to get out and do a nephrology fellowship, civilian fellowship, so he was getting out of the army. Now they say, well, you're now the chief of the internal medicine clinic, you're the medical officer, the chief of the intensive care unit. And guess what? You're the only internal medicine physician we're going to have for the summer. Have a good summer. Well, it was worse summer I've ever had in my life. Miserable Oh, it was horrible.   Michael Hingson  26:20 So I was so   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  26:21 busy there with with patients and care and responsibilities there and having to tell some patients I'm sorry, we don't have capacity for you're going to have to be seen in the civilian sector. Now, mind you, when my two new colleagues came, we had all these patients screaming back saying please, please, please, may I come back, because they knew the care we rendered was superior to what they were getting the care they were receiving in the civilian sector. But it was it was such a demanding physically and emotionally and timewise. spending enormous amounts of time at the clinic and hospital.   Michael Hingson  27:06 So what does Internal Medicine take in   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  27:09 internal medicine, we are specialists for adults, you think of the gamut of non surgical diseases. We take care of adults 18 to end of life. And so our training entails taking care of the common cold, a community acquired pneumonia, that you can treat as an outpatient, to taking care of a patient that's in the ICU, hooked up to life support. That's the scope of what we're trained in. So if you think of the common diseases of adults, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, arthritis, gastrointestinal problems, this is the Bailiwick of an internal medicine physician.   Michael Hingson  27:59 Our biggest exposure to that for Well, first of all, my sister in law was a critical care unit and ICU nurse for a lot of her life. And, and then retired. But anyway, in 2014, my wife contracted double pneumonia, and ARDS, ARDS, oh my gosh. And she ended up in the hospital on a ventilator. And what they were trying to constantly do is to force air into her lungs to try to push out some of the pneumonia. They actually had to use and you'll appreciate this, a peeps level of 39 just to get air into her lungs. They were so stiff. Yeah, they were so stiff. And no one at the hospital had ever seen any situation where they had to use so much air pressure to get air into her lungs to start to move things around and get rid of the pneumonia. Everyone came from around the hospital just to see the gauges.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  29:02 And your they probably told you this risks injuring her lungs because the pressures are so high. But without the weather, we're not going to be able to oxygenate her.   Michael Hingson  29:15 Right. And what they said basically was that if she didn't have pneumonia, her lungs would have exploded with that kind of pressure. Exactly. Because what the average individual when you're inhaling is a peeps level of like between two and five. So 39 was incredibly high.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  29:33 Oh, yes, absolutely. But she's glad she recovered.   Michael Hingson  29:37 She did. We're we're glad about that. She was in the hospital for a month and and she was in an induced coma using propofol and when my gosh when she came out of all that I asked her she dreamed about seeing thriller and bad and all that. I was mean. But but no she ordeal, wow. Well, and that's what eventually caused us to move down here to Southern California to be closer to relatives. But I really appreciated what the doctors did for her. And we're, we're very grateful and fully understand a lot of what goes on with internal medicine and she has a good doctor now that we work with, well, who I both work with, and so on. You're very pleased with that. But you say you're in charge of Internal Medicine. And how long did that last at your first station,   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  30:39 first duty station, we arrived in 89. We were there till 92 till summer of 92. So arrived in January 89. I graduated off cycle. And Canton, arrived in, left in summer of 92 went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. But while I was at Fort Sill was first time I deployed to Operation Desert Shield Desert Storm, my first deployment and it was found out just days, like the week before, that my wife was expecting our fourth child or son Jonathan got home in time, for 11 days before his birth. Thank you, Lord. But that was my first deployment. And that was harrowing in that we were the first major medical group in theater, 47 filled hospital. And we knew that Saddam had chemical weapons, and that is Scud missiles could reach where we were at in Bahrain. So it was it was some harrowing times with that, getting our hospital set up. And knowing that we were well within range of Scud missiles, the alarms that go off and we'd be throwing on our protective gear we call our MOPP gear, our masks and our other other protective gear and these outrageous high temperatures. You know, within a couple of minutes, you were just drenched with sweat pouring off of you. In those those heat in that heat until you'd hear their alarms go off again and all clear. Thankfully, we never were bombed with the Scud. But we were well within the range. And we knew we had used chemical weapons, and we knew they certainly were in this arsenal. So we that was my first deployment. And then Walter Reed where I did a fellowship two years there in Washington, DC, and then we are off to Brooke Army Medical Center. And that was San Antonio, one of my favorite cities, that Fort Sam Houston. And we we were there for four years. And on the heels of that, I was deployed to Haiti for seven months, the last months that we live there, so I've gone I'm just redeploying returning home. And we're in the process of moving. Now we're moving to Fort Hood, Texas. There we spent, actually eight years at Fort Bragg. And there I was, again, chief of the Department of Medicine at Fort Hood, had amazing staff, great people that I worked with wonderful patients everywhere I went this wonderful patients to take care of. And then I was deployed during that time to Operation Iraqi Freedom was, Oh, if one Operation Iraqi Freedom one 2003 2004, stationed up in Missoula, treating caring primarily for the 100 and first Airborne Division aerosols. Major General David Petraeus was a division commander at that time, I got to work closely. My last few months, I was the officer in charge of the hospital, 21st combat support hospital and got to work closely interact with John Petraeus and his staff. Amazing man, amazing staff. incredible experience. Then from there after fort Fort Hood, we went back to Fort Sill, which was an interesting experience because then I was the deputy commander of Clinical Services, the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital. So first time I was there, I was a newly minted captain, new to the army, you know, expect you to know much about the army. Now I go to back to Fort Sill, I'm in the command suite on the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital now as a colonel, they expect you to know air everything. So it was it was interesting. Now, one of the first few days I was there, they give me a tour around to various places and the record group and we're talking and the the records lady, one of the ladies talking to us, telling us about different things and that she She says, You remind me of you remind me of Dr. Longer God, Dr. Monder. God, she had been there the first time I had been there, because we'd have to go down and review our charts and sign our charts on a regular basis. It was, it was amazing. But just some great people that I got to work with over the years, and that our last duty station was in Augusta, Georgia, at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center, where I was again, Chief of Department of Medicine, worked with great people helped train some amazing residents and medical students, PA students.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  35:39 Just some great experiences. And while I was at Eisenhower Army Medical Center, I deployed for the last time to Iraq for another year 2010 to 2011.   Michael Hingson  35:50 How did all of the deployments and I guess you're 26 years in the military in general, but especially your deployments? How did all of that affect you in your life in your family,   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  36:02 it gives you a much greater appreciation. Well, a few ways. Certainly a much bigger appreciation for your your family and your time with your family, I lost over three and a half years, 37 months out of the life of my family. And you don't get that time back. No, you don't get that back. So all major these major events that go on your life, seeing things with your children happening. There are no do overs with that that's time last. So you get a better appreciation for that, you also get a better appreciation for the freedoms, the opportunities we have in this nation, when you go to some of those countries realize, you see what poverty can be like, you see how certain citizens are treated, you see women who are treated like cattle, in some cases like property, that the lack of rights, you see these people who want to be able to vote, that it's not just a rigged election, but they actually have a say, in their country's democratic process. The appreciation, and one of the things that was so poignant to Michael was the fact that these so many people, every place I've been whether that's on a mission trip to Guatemala, whether that's in Iraq, whether that was in Bahrain and other places that have been there, how many people would come and say My dream is to go to the US and become a US citizen, I heard that over and over and over again. And when I would get back home, I would feel like kissing the ground. Because I realized, by virtue of being born American, the privileges, the opportunities that I have, are so different than so many people around the world. So gave me appreciation for that. But being deployed, you get to see Army Medicine, practiced in the in the field, because Army Medicine is world class medicine, but you get to see it in the field practice again, in a world class way. It's, it's really mind boggling. Some of the things that we do in a field setting in a combat zone, taking care of soldiers, taking care of other service members, the things that we do, literally world class, not just back in brick and mortar facilities. But they're in the field. Unbelievable. And again, working with great colleagues, amazing staff that I had there, the 21st cache and other places that I've worked. So that appreciation and that idea that you're working for a cause so much greater than yourself, that brotherhood that you have. Now, when you've deployed with people and you've been in combat zone with people, let me tell you, you build some strong bonds.   Michael Hingson  39:15 And it's all about really putting into practice what most of us really can only think about is theory because unless we've been subjected to it and need medical help, or have been involved in the situations like you, it's it's not the same. We're not connected to it. And it's so important, it seems to me to help people understand that connection and the values that you're exactly what you're talking about.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  39:46 Yes, yes. You were asking about the impact on my family. Well think about that. My first time employee My wife has three young children. Adam was six Chris was four. Anjali It was too, and she's expecting our fourth. We're deploying to this war zone that's very uncertain knowing he's got Scud missiles, he's got chemical weapon arsenal, that he's used this. And you're going into this very uncertain war zone. Not knowing when you're coming back home, or even if you're coming back home, all of this uncertainty. The night they announced that, okay, the war had started, that that officially had kicked, kicked off there, that hostilities it started, it was announced on TV. And the kids were at a swimming lesson at the pool, I believe. And somebody came running through some young soldier or something,   Michael Hingson  40:59 the war started, the   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  41:00 war has started. And the children all started bawling. And so Sherry's trying to gather them up and she's thinking, What are you doing, you know, trying to gather up the the kids and get them home. But she didn't allow them to listen to any reports do anything. Thankfully, we didn't have a TV at that time by choice. We didn't have a TV for many years. But she didn't allow him to listen to any reports, because she didn't want them to hear these things. But you can think about the uncertainty, you think about missing the events, you think about a spouse having to manage everything at home, taking care of the family, taking care of all the other things there that are involved in managing a household. That's what's left with that, that spouse and then them carrying on without you. So adjusting without you. And then as those children are a different ages, again, all of that, your spouse taking care of that. And your family, adjusting without you. Now if people don't realize they see these idyllic, idyllic reunions, oh, it's great look at they're coming home, and they're hugging and kissing and crying and looking at how wonderful that is. Well, yes, it is wonderful. It's magnificent. You can't believe the elation and the relief. But there's a short little honeymoon phase, if you will. But then the real work begins reintegrating into your family, finding that new normal, how do I fit back into this, they've done with it. They've been without me for several months, or even up to a year. My kids have changed. I've changed Sherry's changed, our family has changed. So how now do we find that normal? And I think that's what a lot of people don't understand that there is that work that needs to be done. And there's a lot of work that needs to be done after it. service members returned home from a deployment, that it's not easy. And it takes its toll. And I don't think that people realize the sacrifice when service members been gone. for months and months at a time years at a time, the sacrifice of that service member the sacrifice of their fam, with every promotion, every award that I received, I used to tell people, my wife, and my kids deserve this a lot more than I do.   Michael Hingson  43:50 And another thing that comes to mind in thinking about this back in the time of Desert Storm, and so on and maybe up into Iraqi Freedom, I would think actually is how were you able to communicate with home.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  44:07 Oh, with your family. And in Desert Storm is primarily snail mail. We did have the occasional call that we can make. Now, as the theater matured and they moved us out of living in tents. We got to move into hardened structure in there. I could make a regular phone call when we got to if there we could, I could send e mail and that became snail mail. And e mail were the primary ways that we connected. The last time I was in Iraq 2010 and 2011. Again, it was email but I could also I had a car that I could charge minutes to that I can Make through an international calling system that I can also place telephone calls. But the primary way became again, snail mail and email to communicate with my family. Today, is   Michael Hingson  45:13 there additional kinds of ways of communicating like zoom or Skype? Yeah.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  45:18 Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Now you're right. They can do face to face zoom. FaceTime there they have, they have their cell phone. So if they're not restricted from using their cell phones, and can even get the international plan and call, we weren't able to do those kinds of things. Yeah. There. Now we did have one thing when I was in Haiti, where it could go into a room. And you could do a as via satellite, it was on a monitor that I could speak to, and they were in this special room there that it was big monitor. But it was a very limited time. And that when that time ended, boom, the screen would just freeze. And the first time it ended like that the kids action starts, started crying because I'm in mid sentence saying something, and I freeze on the screen. And the kids didn't understand what was going on. Yeah. And they was so abrupt that Sherry told me later, can start crying when that happened,   Michael Hingson  46:25 cuz they didn't know they didn't know whether suddenly a bomb dropped or what?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  46:29 Right, right. Yes. It's shocking to them.   Michael Hingson  46:33 Well, all of this obviously takes a toll on anyone who's subjected to it or who gets to do it. And I guess the other side of it is it's an honorable and a wonderful thing to be able to go off and serve people and, and help make the world a better place. But it eventually led to a depression for you, right?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  46:55 Yes, yes. I ended up with major depression. And it culminated on April 17 2014, where I was curled up in a fetal position under the desk in my office. They're laying on that musty carpet. I had gone to work as I normally did, like, get to my office that day early, as was my custom. Nobody else on the whole floor. I locked my office turned on the lights, step inside. And everything just came crashing down on me. I was beat up, beaten down and broken. Should behind me lock the door, turned off the lights, close the blinds. And I crawled under that desk. And then for four hours. I'm asking myself skip, what are you doing? Skip? Why are you here? What happened? You're a tough guy. You're a colonel. You've been in combat zones for over 18 months. Your National Wrestling Champion, you're a tough guy. What happened? Then very slowly, looking at that, and scenes and memories colliding, looking at things, promise, difficulties, and I began to put the pieces together. And finally began to understand the symptoms I was having the past nine months, insomnia, impaired cognition is progressively moving these negative thoughts it just pounded the day and night. You're a fake. You don't deserve to be a colonel, you let your family down. You left the army down, who's gonna want a higher loss of confidence in decision, loss of passion and things that I normally have no interest in resting. Joy, no joy in my life. It's like walking through life in black and white. My body old injuries. Overuse injuries, the osteoarthritis body just a make it even worse. My libido my sex drive was in the toilet. Now you talk about kicking the guy when he's down. And I finally began was able to put those pieces together after four hours. Now I was finally able to understand, said scale. You're depressed? Go get help. And I crawled out from under that desk with a flicker of hope. And later that afternoon, I've seen a clinical psychologist to confirm the diagnosis of major depression.   Michael Hingson  49:25 How come it took so long for you to get to that point? Do you think   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  49:30 it was my tough guy mentality? This idea that you just keep pushing through that tough guy identity is like a double edged sword. That tough guys just keep pushing through. There was a lot of things colonel, combat that physician wrestler. So I took on this tough guy persona. And we even have a term for it in wrestling. We call it gutting it out. No matter how hard your lungs and what your lungs burn how much your muscles say, no matter how hard this is, you're just going to keep pushing and pushing. So that was my, that was my modus operandi. That's what I how I operated in my life. You just keep pushing hard and hard and pushing through these difficulties. With it, I couldn't see step back far enough to see what was going on. I knew it felt horrible. I couldn't sleep. I felt badly. I didn't want to be around people. I was withdrawn. But I couldn't step back even as a physician, and put these together to say, Oh, I'm depressed. It's just Oh, keep pushing. And the harder I push, the worse I got. So it was that blindness from that tough guy identity. That there probably some denial going on perhaps. But even as I look back retrospectively, that tough guy mentality just didn't help me. Allow me to see that until it got so crucial where I was just totally depleted. Ended up under that desk.   Michael Hingson  51:11 So how would you define being a tough guy today, as opposed to what you what you thought back then?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  51:20 Yes, yes. Well, there are two sides to a tough guy, Michael, I see a tough guy. Certainly one aspect of the tough guy as that provider protector, that decisive individual, that decisive man that can do things that need to be done now, and can make those tough decisions, no matter what. That's one aspect of so yeah, but that other aspect to hit balances is. So we think of that one tough guy, you might say that's your impart your rugged, individualistic guy that you see that module, tough guy, that the screen portrays at least aspects of that. But then you see this other aspect of that tough guy, this is the individual that has, can be in touch with his emotions, can understand and able to dig there into that and say, Oh, I'm feeling sad. You know, what, somebody what you just said, really hurt. That's, I'm disappointed with that. I'm able to shed tears open, I'm able to show that tenderness that love very openly, but to balance it between the two sides appropriately. That's what I see as a true tough guy. It's not just the one or the other. It's that blend of both that we need in our lives to make us a tough guy. And if you have only one or the other, you're you're not a tough guy. You only have the tenderness and the warmth, and the gentleness and the ability to share your emotions. Well guess what? You're going to be a tough time you're going to run over people can take advantage of they're not going to be much of a protector for those you need to protect. But if you only have that other side of you. You're very limited. You're not going to be able to function in the full array of what we're meant to function in as men or women. Nor women. Absolutely. It's not just restricted to one sex. Absolutely. You're right, Michael.   Michael Hingson  53:51 So you wrote a book wrestling? Depression is not for tough guys. Right? Not for wimps. Yeah, not for wimps. I'm sorry. Wrestling. Depression is pretty tough guys. Wrestling depression is not for wimps. Tell us about that and how it affected you and your family writing that?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  54:11 Well, that book, the genesis of that book came about about six weeks into my recovery, but still struggling. And throughout the time that I was sinking down deeper and deeper into the depression and the first several weeks in my recovery. My prayers had been lowered lower, please, please deliver me from this darkness. But six weeks into my recovery. My youngest brother Chris calls me he had been at a Bible study with Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham. In Franklin talked about the suffering of Christ. And the gist of what was if Christ suffered so brutally upon that cross why as Western Christians do we think we should be immune from suffering. And over the next two days, the birth that kept coming to my mind was from Philippians. To 13 Paul writes, oh, that I know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. I knew that verse I knew well, I'd prayed that verse hundreds of times in my walk with Christ, but in the midst of my suffering, I wanted deliverance. But over two days, my prayer shifted from Lord, please, please deliver me, the Lord. What would you have me learn? And how might I use it to serve others. And at that point, I knew I was going to have to share my story. I didn't know how, when but I knew I must share my story. So I began to note what lessons I had learned and what lessons I was learning with the intent of sharing those first time I got to do that was at a officer Professional Development Day, there at the hospital at Eisenhower Medical Center, our session, the morning, our session, the afternoon, and the hospital auditorium. And that became the genesis for my book, I want a writing contest in 2015, your have to retire from the army. And with that came a contract to have my book published. And then it was the process of going through the whole process of writing the book, editing the book, selecting the book, cover, all the things go into book, writing, that book was life transformed. It was transformational to me. And so I learned so many things about myself writing this book.   Michael Hingson  56:41 Did you have fun writing it,   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  56:43 I had fun at times. Other times, it was a grind, almost chickened out at the point where we had everything finished. It was ready to go to the publishers and I was I was I was on the cliffs, so to speak. i The book midwife as we called her, the lady is working with Carrie to read love the love with the lady with the company, their Confucian publishing is now called used to be transformational books. I called her and I said, Carrie, I don't know. I think I need to scrap this whole book. I think I need to start over. I can write a much better book. And she goes, No skip. This book is ready. We need to get it birth, we need to extend it to the publisher. And I'm thinking oh, no, no, no, I, I just can in Nice, I need to rewrite this whole thing. I can do a bunch better. This after working. You know, we've been working on this thing for two and a half years getting this thing ready. And I prayed about I'm talking about and then later I called her back in a day and a half and say, okay, Sherry talked me off the cliff. We're gonna send this book forward. But with that, learn things about yourself, going through that access some memories that I hadn't thought about, and some things, some promise that occurred that affected me in profound ways that I didn't realize how much of an impact that had on my life, and for how long that have an impact on my life. Case in point. I lost the state wrestling championship as a senior in high school by two seconds of writing time. Meaning my opponent, Matt Martinez, from greedy West High School knew Matt. There. He beat me by controlling me when he's on the top position for two seconds. He had two seconds more writing time controlling me on that map that I escaped from him three seconds earlier, you wouldn't have any writing time. And we had gotten into overtime. And I believe I would have beat Matt in overtime because nobody, nobody could match my conditioning. But it didn't get to them. So I really that that match. That was probably 10s of 1000s. But what it did is it it really devastated my confidence. And that carried on into my first couple years of college, the College wrestling. Just a lot of things about me. And what I didn't realize it took three and a half years. No, actually five, five years 73 It was 78 and spring of 78 when I was finally healing from that, regaining my mojo. And I didn't realize that until I was writing this book, that profound impact that loss had and the RIP holes, the effects that went on for those successive years there, the profundity of that. And there were other things that I came to light. So there'd be times I'd be laughing. There'd be times I'd be crying. There'd be times I'd be like, Whoa, wow. So it was an amazing experience.   Michael Hingson  1:00:23 So what are some tips that you would give to anyone dealing with depression today?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:00:29 Yep. Thank you for asking that. Michael, first and foremost, men, or anybody if you're struggling, don't struggle. One more day in silence, please, please, please go get help to remember, you're never, never, never alone. Three, keep your head up. And wrestling, we talk about this, keep your head up, instill this in our young wrestlers. Why because if they're on their feet, and they drop their head, and get taken down to the mat, if they're down on the mat, the opponent's on top of them and drop their head, they can turn over and pin. But that's also figurative, and emotional, keep your head up. Keep your head up. And I needed people speaking into my life, like my wife, my family, my friends, my therapist, others speaking into my life, it's a skip, keep your head up. Psalm three, three says the Lord is our glory, and the lifter of our heads. So I tell people, you're never ever, ever alone. third, or fourth, I would say attend to the basics, sleep, healthy nutrition. And some regular activity. Those basics are the basics for good reason. And I call them the big three. And probably the most important of all of those, if you're having dysregulation of your sleep is get your sleep back under control. The last few that I'm sorry, go ahead. And then the last few that I would say is make sure you've got a battle buddy. Make sure you have somebody that you can turn to somebody that you can confide in somebody that, you know, would just listen and walk this journey with you and a prescription. And there's many other things that I talked about in my book, but a prescription that I have left with 1000s and 1000s of patients. I've written this on prescription pads. And I've shared this with patients and I say this medication has no bad side effects. This medication has no drug to drug interactions, and you cannot overdose on this medication. So I want you to take this medication liberally each and every day. Proverbs 1722 says A merry heart doeth good, like a medicine. broken spirit. Drive up the boats. When I was depressed, I had a broken spirit. So lack is good nets. So I say each and every day, laugh and laugh hard to find something that you can laugh about. It's goodness.   Michael Hingson  1:03:40 Oh, whenever I want to laugh, all I have to say is I wanted to be a doctor but I didn't have any patients. See?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:03:55 Oh, that's great.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:03:59 Well, I tell people, in retrospect, I say, gee, if I had only been my own doctor, I would have diagnosed myself sooner. See, well wait, I am a doctor.   Michael Hingson  1:04:15 Or you know what the doctor said Is he sewed himself up Suit yourself. Yeah. I got that from an old inner sanctum radio show. But anyway. Last thing, because we've been going a while and just to at least mention it. You have been a TD X speaker.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:04:33 Yes, sir. I was a TEDx speaker. Indeed.   Michael Hingson  1:04:36 I got it that went well. Oh,   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:04:39 it was amazing. Was a TEDx speaker in Vancouver, in December of 2021. My talk is entitled tough guys are an endangered species. And standing up there on the TEDx phase and stage was a common addition of almost nine months of preparation, our mentor, Roger killin tremendous in helping prepare, myself and some colleagues for this, with the help of his sidekick, Dorthea Hendrik, just lovely, lovely people. But to stand on that stage, and deliver my talk, which is about 12 and a half minutes, started off in about six and a half 17 minutes, get cutting down, cutting it down, cutting it down, but stand there and deliver this message directed to tough guys talking about emotions, and the inability that men often have an accessing our emotions because of the way we've been conditioned, the way we've been raised the expectations placed on us. In fact, there's a medical term that was coined, that's masculine, Alexei timea, which means he leaves without words, and how that then sets men up, that I don't, I'm okay, I don't need help. I don't need to share my feelings and we lose contact with our feelings. Men don't seek medical care as often as women in general, much less when they're struggling with mental health issues, that denial, that tough guy, and now they seek it in maladaptive behaviors. I talked about that. But the ultimate behavior becoming suicide,   Michael Hingson  1:06:39 which is why you have given us a new and much better definition of tough guy. Yes, sir. In the end, it is very clear that wrestling depression is not for wimps. So I get it right that time. There you go. Well, I want to thank you for being here with us on unstoppable mindset. Clearly, you have an unstoppable mindset. And I hope people get inspired by it. And inspired by all the things you've had to say if they'd like to reach out to you. How might they do that?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:07:14 The easiest way for them to reach out Michael is go to my website. w w w dot transform, tough guys.com W, W W dot transform Tough guys.com. And there, you could send me a message.   Michael Hingson  1:07:35 Send you a message looking at your book. Are you looking at writing any more books?   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:07:39 Yes, sir. I am looking to write another book. And still in the making. But I think the next book, maybe wrestling movies is not for wimps.   Michael Hingson  1:07:53 There you go. Well, we want to hear about that when it comes out. And so you have to come back and we can talk more about it.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:07:59 Yes, sir. Well, thank   Michael Hingson  1:08:01 you again, skip for being with us on unstoppable mindset. I appreciate it. I appreciate you. And it's easy to say you inspire me and and all that. But I seriously mean it. I think you've offered a lot of good knowledge and good sound advice that people should listen to. And I hope that all of you out there, appreciate this as well. And that you will reach out to www dot transform, tough guys.com and reach out to skip. Also, of course, we'd love to hear from you feel free to email me at Michaelhi at accessibe.com or go to www dot Michaelhingson.com/podcast or wherever you're listening to us. Please give us a five star rating. We appreciate it. We want to hear what you think about the podcast. If you've got suggestions of people who should be on and skip Same to you if you know of anyone else that we ought to have on the podcast would appreciate your, your help in finding more people and more insights that we all can appreciate. So again, thank you for you for being on the podcast with us   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon  1:09:08 there. My pleasure, Mike. Thank you.   Michael Hingson  1:09:10 Pleasure is mine.   Michael Hingson  1:09:16 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

LTC Oakland Mcculloch Daytona Beach, Florida Lieutenant Colonel (US Army Retired), Author and Accomplished Speaker Retired Lieutenant Colonel Oakland McCulloch is the author of the 2021 release, Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be. Based on 40+ years of leadership in the U.S. Army and subsequent civilian positions, Oak highlights principles that will benefit today's leaders and inspire the leaders of tomorrow. Oak is a well-known speaker who gives presentations on a variety of topics including leadership, success, history, college preparation and others. During his 23-year career in the Army, Oak McCulloch held numerous leadership positions in the Infantry and Armor branches. He assisted in disaster relief operations for Hurricane HUGO in Charleston, SC and Hurricane ANDREW in south Florida. Oak's operational deployments include: Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a General's Aide-de-Camp; Support operations in Bosnia as a Congressional Liaison Officer; and A peace keeping deployment to Kosovo as an Operations Officer. COMPANY WEBSITES & PAGES WEBSITE ltcoakmcculloch.com FACEBOOK PAGE facebook.com/ltcoakmcculloch YOUTUBE CHANNEL youtube.com/channel/UC1Ep1eqF3o0X5CBamtVgCIQ LINKEDIN (PERSONAL) https://www.linkedin.com/in/oakland-mcculloch-34293256/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mettle-of-honor/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mettle-of-honor/support

Shop https://www.mikeritlandco.com for Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel & more! #chokeyourselfWait a minute, a politician? On Mike Drop? Relax - Allen West is one of the good ones. He's a Republican Politician and Retired Military Officer who, believe it or not, doesn't work too far from the studio. That's why West was kind enough to dip in and spend some time talking about Parachuting into Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, running for Texas Governor against Greg Abbott in the 2022 Primary, what it's REALLY like to work in Congress, and answer a lightning-fast round of rapid-fire foreign and domestic policy questions that have been on Mike's mind for years. Strap in. Chapters:00:00 - Intro2:00 - Congressional Surprises10:30 - The Worst Part of Washington D.C. 12:30 - Pro Term Limits22:00 - Running for Governor26:00 - Morning Routine27:30 - Growing Up in Atlanta32:30 - On Welfare36:30 - Commissioned at Fort Sill40:00 - Desert Shield, Desert Storm47:30 - Officer Evaluations58:00 - Military Retirement1:03:00 - Money in Politics1:06:00 - Rebuilding Education1:12:00 - A Republic (If You Can Keep It)1:16:00 - Citizen Involvement1:18:00 - Women in Combat Roles1:20:00 - Russia & Ukraine1:22:00 - On China1:23:30 - Bills in Congress1:25:00 - Foreign AidSupport Allen West:Podcast - Steadfast & Loyal with Allen West: https://open.spotify.com/show/29yp3fZK2AMfr7z39tE2QhFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllenBWestInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/allenbwest--------------Sponsors:Bubs NaturalsThe BUBS namesake derives from Glen ‘BUB' Doherty, who was heroically killed in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. In addition to remembering Glen for the patriot he is, the BUBS ethos centers around the passionate and adventure seeking life that Glen lived. BUBS Naturals products are rooted in sustainably sourced ingredients and controlled consistency to provide our customers with the highest quality Collagen Protein & MCT Oil Powder that help you feel amazing and live a fuller life.Our mission is simple. FEEL GREAT. DO GOOD. 10% always goes back to charity, helping military men and women transition back into civilian life. Go to bubsnaturals.com and use code MIKEDROP for 20% off your order.--------------ManscapedGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "MIKEDROP" at manscaped.com. That's 20% off + free shipping with the code "MIKEDROP" at manscaped.com. Keep things smooth and fresh as we say sayonara to Smooth Ball Summer and enter Fresh Ball Fall!--------------USCCAhttps://www.uscca.com/mikedropLEGAL DISCLAIMER -The USCCA is not an insurance company. A policy has been issued to the USCCA. That policy provides the association and its members with self-defense liability insurance, subject to its terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions.--------------Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.petALL THINGS MIKE RITLANDSHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs- MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.comTeam Dog Online dog training- TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

It might surprise you to learn that more and more military combat veterans are looking to psychedelics and plant medicines for help. For a lot of vets, returning into society is the beginning of a long and arduous process of coming back home to themselves. In one major study of 60,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, 13.5% of deployed and non-deployed veterans screened positive for PTSD, while other studies show the rate to be as high as 20% to 30%. As many as 500,000 U.S. troops who served in these wars over the past 13 years have been diagnosed with PTSD. PTSD, C-PTSD, and other life-threatening mental health issues, including addiction, depression, anxiety, and suicide have been the result for military and police men and women serving in combat zones, and under dangerous working conditions as part of their jobs. This week on the podcast, we are speaking with USMC Veteran Ray Murphy, Founder of Warriors Healing Network. Ray is a U.S. Marine Veteran who served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and has since worked extensively as a consultant for law enforcement as a K9 unit trainer. Ray has firsthand experience with C-PTSD and the shortfalls of finding treatment and relief inside the system, especially through the VA. Earlier this year, Ray attended a plant medicine retreat in Costa Rica where he worked with ayahuasca in ceremony, and found it to be an effective treatment for PTSD in his own life. This healing experience led him to found Warriors Healing Network, a nonprofit organization that helps facilitate psychedelic treatment for combat veterans and police officers who have been diagnosed with PTSD and need financial support to access medicine. In this episode, Ray shares about his own personal experience with PTSD as a military veteran, his many failed treatment attempts through traditional healthcare, and finally feeling called to experience ayahuasca for himself, which led to healing his PTSD. We talk about the hardships of being in military and police service, and how the traditional system is leaving people behind, which is why psychedelics are so promising as a treatment for this specific population. To learn more about Warriors Healing Network, make a donation, or apply to work with them, visit their website: https://warriorshealingnetwork.org Work with us: https://mysticalheartcollective.com

About Tom: Tom Stamulis is the owner and Managing Director of True North Group, a Virginia-based firm specializing in cybersecurity and cyber risk. Tom has more than 30 years of cybersecurity experience; he joined the United States Army and served 20 years as a Counterintelligence Agent with assignments in the U.S, Germany, and Middle East. He deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1990 and Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Following his military career, Tom managed information security as a cybersecurity consultant for global organizations such as PricewaterhouseCooper, KPMG, Verizon and Alvarez & Marsal. In 2019, Tom launched True North Group and has a particular interest in working with small and medium businesses. These businesses are at great risk but have fewer resources to defend against cybercrime. He served as the Cybersecurity Advisor for Virginia's Small Business Development Centers and has presented to small and medium business organizations regarding the risk of cybercrime and how to defend against it. He was awarded the Top of Virginia's Regional Chamber of Commerce's 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year and is the President of the Winchester Chapter for neXco National, a networking community created with the sole purpose of helping business owners grow, both personally and professionally. Tom has a bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity Management and Policy from the University of Maryland, Global Campus and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, a Certified Information Security Manager, and is Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control. In this episode: The brotherhood of the military From counter intelligence to cyber security Hacker techniques and what to avoid Protecting yourself, your business, and your assets online Backups, encryption, and the dangers of ransomware Connect with Tom: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tstamulis Business Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrueNorthGroupConsulting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tstamulis Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tstamulis/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/true-north-group/ Website: https://www.tngllc.com Connect with Sammy: Facebook: @themelifestyle Instagram: the_sammyj TikTok: @mentaledge Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sammy-farrens-midwest-mindset-trainer-947703225 Website: mentaledgepodcast.com Audio and show notes by Premier Podcast Promotions

Michael E. Nolan was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, but grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He is the son of an Irish-American sailor who married a beautiful Puerto Rican from a good family. His dad would spend a few decades, after leaving the Navy and having a stint at the University of Michigan, engaged in various creative entrepreneurial endeavours until he eventually became a farrier, invented the Nolan Hoof Plate, and enjoyed some modest success towards the end of his days. The entrepreneurial roller coaster of his father's life, however, was offset by Michael's mother who provided the family with some stability through her own employment at the Ohio State University and the support of her family back in Puerto Rico.Once he turned eighteen, Michael joined the military as an infantryman and eventually served in the Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserves, and the Army National Guard between the years 1990 to 2016. During his military service, he participated in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Operation Provide Promise/Deny Flight, and United Nations Operation Somalia with 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. With the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines he participated in Joint Task Force Six along the U.S.-Mexican border. He also did two tours in Iraq, first with the 1452nd Transportation Company in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-05, and then with the 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-08. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal (3 awards), Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (7 awards), and the Combat Infantryman's Badge among others.During this time, Michael graduated magna cum laude in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Franklin University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree (2006) from the University of Phoenix as well as a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy (2013) from The Eisenhower School at National Defense University where Michael was an Afghanistan/Pakistan Fellow and a member of the Land Combat Systems industry study. He also has almost twenty years of civilian service in both the defence and intelligence arenas that included roles as the Chief Financial Officer for the standup of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency as well as a Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Defense of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.Having been raised by an entrepreneur and seeing first-hand how to start, build, and eventually sell a business, Michael was always tinkering with businesses of his own. This ranged from ventures as diverse as farrier services to a business brokerage. Michael's passion, however, always seemed to lie with financial related endeavours. He found success helping clients in both real estate and as a foreign exchange proprietary trader before settling into the management of his own portfolio and shifting his attention to writing. Now, Michael focuses his time and efforts on producing high-quality content focused on the warrior tradition.When he's not working, Michael enjoys spending time practising the martial arts. He is a lifelong martial artist having studied various arts from all over the world but focusing his efforts primarily on the Chinese martial arts. He studied Wing Chun and Tai Chi from Dr Fred Ming-An Wu starting in 1983 until Dr Wu's death in 2000, excepting periods of military service. Currently, Michael studies Shuai Chiao in Northern Virginia under Master Nick Masi, a student of Dr Daniel Chi-hsiu Weng, himself a top disciple of the world-renowned Grandmaster Chang Tung-Sheng. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm so honored to have Oakland McCulloch on the podcast as he shares his decades of wisdom navigating leadership in the military and beyond! Oakland McCulloch was born in Loudon, Tennessee, and raised in Kirkland, Illinois.  After graduating from high school, he attend the United States Military Academy at West Point for two years.  He then graduated from Northern Illinois University and received his commission as an Infantry Officer through the Reserve Officer Training Course in 1986.       In his 23 year career in the Army Oak McCulloch held numerous leadership positions in the Infantry and Armor branches.  He assisted in disaster relief operations for Hurricane HUGO in Charleston, South Carolina and Hurricane ANDREW in south Florida.  His operational deployments include Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a Generals Aide-de-Camp, the Congressional Liaison Officer in support of operations in Bosnia and the Operations Officer during a Peace Keeping deployment to Kosovo.  He held instructor positions at the US Army Ordnance School, the US Army Command and General Staff College, the Australian Command and Staff College, University of South Alabama, and Stetson University.  His last position in the Army was a three-year tour as the Professor of Military Science at the University of South Alabama where he led the training and commissioning of Lieutenants and tripled the size of the program in his three-year tour. LTC McCulloch retired from the Army in September 2009 with over 23 years of active service and joined the staff at the Bay Area Food Bank as the Associate Director.  He was also the Vice Chair for Military Affairs on the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Mobile Rotary International Club.  LTC McCulloch left the food bank in December 2010 to become the Senior Military Science Instructor and recruiter for the Army ROTC program at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. In his 9 years at Stetson, the program grew from 15 Cadets to over 100 Cadets.  In October 2013, he became the Recruiting Operations Officer for the Eagle Battalion Army ROTC program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he has more than doubled the size of the program in 6 years.  Cadet Command selected LTC McCulloch as the top recruiting officer, out of 274 recruiters, for 2019.  LTC Oak McCulloch published his first book in February 2021 – “Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be”.       LTC McCulloch earned a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Northern Illinois University in 1987 and a Master of Military Arts and Science in History from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 2002.  He received thirty-one military service awards including the Bronze Star, eight Meritorious Service Medals, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.You can find his book here - https://www.amazon.com/Your-Leadership-Legacy-Becoming-Leader/dp/1952037107

On today's episode I interview Retired Lt. Col. Oakland McCulloch. Here is his bio: He was born in Loudon, Tennessee and raised in Kirkland, Illinois. After graduating from high school, he attend the United States Military Academy at West Point for two years. He then graduated from Northern Illinois University and received his commission as an Infantry Officer through the Reserve Officer Training Course in 1986. In his 23 year career in the Army Oak McCulloch held numerous leadership positions in the Infantry and Armor branches. He assisted in disaster relief operations for Hurricane HUGO in Charleston, South Carolina and Hurricane ANDREW in south Florida. His operational deployments include Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a Generals Aide-de-Camp, the Congressional Liaison Officer in support of operations in Bosnia and the Operations Officer during a Peace Keeping deployment to Kosovo. He held instructor positions at the US Army Ordnance School, the US Army Command and General Staff College, the Australian Command and Staff College, University of South Alabama and Stetson University. His last position in the Army was a three-year tour as the Professor of Military Science at the University of South Alabama where he led the training and commissioning of Lieutenants and tripled the size of the program in his three-year tour. LTC McCulloch retired from the Army in September 2009 with over 23 years of active service and joined the staff at the Bay Area Food Bank as the Associate Director. He was also the Vice Chair for Military Affairs on the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Mobile Rotary International Club. LTC McCulloch left the food bank in December 2010 to become the Senior Military Science Instructor and recruiter for the Army ROTC program at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. In his 9 years at Stetson, the program grew from 15 Cadets to over 100 Cadets. In October 2013, he became the Recruiting Operations Officer for the Eagle Battalion Army ROTC program at Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University where he has more than doubled the size of the program in 6 years. Cadet Command selected LTC McCulloch as the top recruiting officer, out of 274 recruiters, for 2019. LTC Oak McCulloch published his first book in February 2021 – “Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be”. LTC McCulloch earned a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Northern Illinois University in 1987 and a Master of Military Arts and Science in History from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 2002. He received thirty-one military service awards including the Bronze Star, eight Meritorious Service Medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal. LTC Oak McCulloch is married to the former Kelly Smyth of Wauconda, Illinois. They were married at Fort Sheridan, Illinois in 1987 and they have two children, Oakland Vincent McCulloch and Caileigh Nicholson. They also have a granddaughter, Ryleigh Jade Nicholson and two grandsons Christopher Bryce Nicholson and Oakland Maverick McCulloch. If you are a leader in any capacity whether it be the military, business, parent, grandparent, non profit founder, or other, you definitely want to listen to this!  PS: Stay all the way to the end to hear where we're at in regards to the fun "Listening Room"

Join Patti Katter with Steve Gonzalez as they talk about military veterans making an impact on marine conservation. Steve is a retired Navy Seal and serves as the event coordinator at FORCE BLUE. He shares the conservation efforts made by the non-profit organization with the aid of military-trained combat divers. Here's a breakdown of what to expect in this episode: · Drawn to join the Navy at an early age · What the Navy BUD/S training was like · How Steve dealt and coped with PTSD · FORCE BLUE's rationale towards marine conservation efforts · Steve's hurdle in life he had to jump over · And so much more! ~ About Steve Gonzalez: Master Chief SEAL(Ret) Steve “Gonzo” Gonzalez served with distinction for 34 years in the Navy, retiring in 2016. He is a combat veteran with multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Joint Guardian, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm, and numerous operations around the world. His awards include 2 Bronze Star for Valor, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for Valor, 5 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and various other Campaign Medals and Awards. Gonzo is a native of New Orleans, LA, and currently resides in Virginia Beach, VA, with his wife and daughter. He is formerly the Director of Operations for the SEAL Veterans Foundation and is currently pursuing his Masters of Arts in Strategic Studies at Norwich University and his role with FORCE BLUE. ~ You can find Steve Gonzalez on . . . Website: https://forceblueteam.org/ ~ Connect with Patti! Website: https://pattikatter.com/ Online Shop: https://thepatrioticmermaid.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pattikatter/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pattikatter/ Don't forget to join The Wake Up with Patti Katter's private Facebook group. Listen to Wake Up With Patti Katter on all major podcast platforms. Interested in Podcast Editing Services or Interested in starting your own Podcast? Ask Patti for a Consult! Podblade: https://app.podblade.com/r/5KQLLY --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wakeupwithpattikatter/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wakeupwithpattikatter/support

Oakland McCulloch was born in Loudon, Tennessee and raised in Kirkland, Illinois. After graduating from high school, he attend the United States Military Academy at West Point for two years. He then graduated from Northern Illinois University and received his commission as an Infantry Officer through the Reserve Officer Training Course in 1986. In his 23 year career in the Army Oak McCulloch held numerous leadership positions in the Infantry and Armor branches. He assisted in disaster relief operations for Hurricane HUGO in Charleston, South Carolina and Hurricane ANDREW in south Florida. His operational deployments include Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a Generals Aide-de-Camp, the Congressional Liaison Officer in support of operations in Bosnia and the Operations Officer during a Peace Keeping deployment to Kosovo. He held instructor positions at the US Army Ordnance School, the US Army Command and General Staff College, the Australian Command and Staff College, University of South Alabama and Stetson University. His last position in the Army was a three-year tour as the Professor of Military Science at the University of South Alabama where he led the training and commissioning of Lieutenants and tripled the size of the program in his three-year tour. LTC McCulloch retired from the Army in September 2009 with over 23 years of active service and joined the staff at the Bay Area Food Bank as the Associate Director. He was also the Vice Chair for Military Affairs on the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Mobile Rotary International Club. LTC McCulloch left the food bank in December 2010 to become the Senior Military Science Instructor and recruiter for the Army ROTC program at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. In his 9 years at Stetson, the program grew from 15 Cadets to over 100 Cadets. In October 2013, he became the Recruiting Operations Officer for the Eagle Battalion Army ROTC program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he has more than doubled the size of the program in 6 years. Cadet Command selected LTC McCulloch as the top recruiting officer, out of 274 recruiters, for 2019. LTC Oak McCulloch published his first book in February 2021 – “Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be”. LTC McCulloch earned a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Northern Illinois University in 1987 and a Master of Military Arts and Science in History from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 2002. He received thirty-one military service awards including the Bronze Star, eight Meritorious Service Medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal. LTC Oak McCulloch is married to the former Kelly Smyth of Wauconda, Illinois. They were married at Fort Sheridan, Illinois in 1987 and they have two children, Oakland Vincent McCulloch and Caileigh Nicholson. They also have a granddaughter, Ryleigh Jade Nicholson and two grandsons Christopher Bryce Nicholson and Oakland Maverick McCulloch.

For show notes, visit https://calwalters.me/  It is an honor and pleasure to welcome back Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert Caslen, who recently served as the 29th President of the University of South Carolina. On this episode, General Caslen discusses his time at the University of South Carolina and recent controversy surrounding a speech he made at their graduation ceremony. General Caslen served 43 years in the United States Army. His military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Under his direction as Superintendent, West Point was recognized as the number one public college in the Nation by Forbes Magazine and the number one public college by U.S. News and World Report. Through the establishment of Centers of Excellence at West Point, General Caslen connected the operational Army with West Point research and intellectual capital. He refined West Point's leadership program by making professional ethics a priority and essential part of leadership and character development. He worked tirelessly to expand the diversity of cadets and faculty alike, and he dramatically expanded West Point's minority and women populations to reflect the demographics of the Army that West Point's graduates help lead. Working with the Director of Athletics, he revamped the athletic program, made it self-sustaining, and fielded 25 competitive intercollegiate teams. He created partnerships with the NCAA and Department of Defense to conduct research into preventing and treating concussions and traumatic brain injury that have led to significant improvements in prevention and care. He stood up the Army Cyber Institute to build expertise and Army leaders prepared for the new cyber fight. And, fulfilling a pledge he made soon after becoming Superintendent, he led a sweeping reversal of Army's football program and developed a culture of excellence through winning with character, culminating in Army defeating Navy in 2016 for the first time in 14 years, and beating both Air Force and Navy in 2017 to win the Commander-in-Chief's trophy for the first time in 21 years. Before becoming the West Point Superintendent, General Caslen served as the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, where he served as the senior military commander in Iraq after the drawdown of U.S. and allied forces in 2011. Caslen held several other notable positions including commanding general of Multi National Division-North during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Chief of Staff of both the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) and the 10th Mountain Division, where he also served as the Division's Chief of Staff during Operation Enduring Freedom. He also has served in combat and overseas deployments in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Joint Task Force Bravo in Honduras, and Operation Uphold Democracy and the United Nations Mission in Haiti. Connect with Lieutenant General (Ret.) Caslen on his website or follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter

Retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Robert Cherry is my guest today. Robert grew up in Orange County, CA and joined the Air Force in 1981 at 17 years old. He attended tech school at Chanute AFB, Illinois, and his first assignment was to F.E. Warren AFB, Cheyenne, WY. He moved from active duty to the reserves and deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. After 33 years of service, Robert retired in 2014.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Oakland “Oak” McCulloch spent 23 years in the US Army, holding numerous leadership positions in the Infantry and Armor branches. McCulloch’s service took him around the globe,  including Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a General’s Aide-de-Camp, support operations in Bosnia as a Congressional Liaison Officer, a peace […]

Retired Air Force MSgt Scott Swick joins the show. He tells me about growing up in Rochester, Indiana and how he joined the Air Force in 1989 as a Civil Engineer 54550 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Specialist. He went to tech school in Wichita Falls, TX and his first assignment was to George AFB, CA. He deployed to the Kingdom of Bahrain in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He eventually retired in 2009 as a 1C6 Space Operator.

About Today's GuestRetired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel is the CEO of Operation Gratitude, whose mission is to forge strong bonds between Americans and their Military and First Responder Heroes through volunteer service projects, acts of gratitude, and meaningful engagements in communities nationwide. Since 2003, Operation Gratitude has mobilized millions of volunteers nationwide and impacted over 3 million deployed Service Members, their children left behind, and First Responders, Recruit Graduates, Veterans, Wounded Heroes and their Caregivers, as well as COVID-19 Frontline Responders. Schmiegel's role is to oversee strategic planning and build national partnerships to further Operation Gratitude's reach as a preeminent military support organization while expanding hands-on volunteerism to help bridge the civilian-service divide in communities across America.Prior to Operation Gratitude, Lieutenant Colonel Schmiegel founded Hiring Our Heroes – a nationwide grassroots campaign run through the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment in hundreds of cities across America. Since its inception, Hiring Our Heroes has held more than 1,000 job fairs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and on military installations overseas. To date, more than 500,000 of our nation's heroes have been hired as a result of the program. He went on to serve as the first-ever President of Thanks USA, expanding the scope of its mission from providing post-secondary, need-based scholarships to military spouses and children to include Pathways for Patriots, an innovative program to provide meaningful employment for the scholars upon graduation.LtCol Schmiegel is a Class of 1989 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel after 20 years on active duty. In addition to an early combat tour to Kuwait for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Schmiegel served as the principal adviser to the NATO commander from 2003-2006, deploying to over 50 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Schmiegel also wrote the strategic plans for NATO's training mission in Iraq, its increased presence in Afghanistan, and disaster relief operations for Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Pakistan. In 2008, Schmiegel served as the military assistant to the special envoy for Middle East Regional Security and deployed to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where he worked with Israeli and Palestinian authorities on the peace process.Kevin lives in Arlington Virginia with his wife Laura. When he is not working, he focuses all of his time and energy on their five children and two dogs.Links Mentioned In This EpisodeOperation Gratitude Web Site: https://www.operationgratitude.comPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThe PsychArmor resource for this week is resource of the week is the course Myths and Facts of Military Leaders. When you think of a military leader, what comes to mind? There are several stereotypes and myths regarding military leaders that are common Among those who don't have a connection to military personnel and culture. This course identifies. four of the most popular myths about military leaders and how they don't align with the reality of working alongside service members and veterans. Tom Creiger, veteran and chief operating officer of PsychArmor also covers how the training that military personnel have received has endowed them with a set of skills and responsibilities that make them an asset to the workplace. Find the course at https://psycharmor.org/courses/myths-facts-military-leaders/.This Episode Sponsored By:This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.Join Us on Social Media PsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com

The idea for Veterans Recovery Resources came to John through time and experience. John is a combat veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-91), Kosovo (2005-06), and Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2015). He has over 31 years of reserve military service including 12 years as an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and over 18 years as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He also served an eighteen-month tour at the Pentagon in the Office of the Surgeon General at Headquarters, Department of the Army (2009-2010). While John's specialty is hospital administration, he brings the credibility of being a Veteran himself. John has walked in the shoes of Veterans and those in recovery. He has seen the challenges facing Veterans in receiving the timely and quality care they need, as well as the community of fellowship that is so key to leading a successful civilian life in recovery. John has a bold vision for how military Veterans can recover from the trauma and issues they face. That vision is Veterans Recovery Resources. After the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 expanded the use of non-Veterans Affairs care for veterans located more than 40 miles from a Veterans Affairs facility, and for those for whom care is not available in a timely fashion, John decided to act. He launched the organization in 2015 and created a Board of Directors with Jim Ware and Mike Plattenburg. He started working with Todd Greer and Dr. Joe Currier. The Advisory Board grew. The momentum for Veterans Recovery Resources continues to grow because the need is so dire. John and his team are committed to making Veterans Recovery Resources a reality. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/changeyourpov/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/changeyourpov/support

Yvette Benarroch moved to Florida from her birth country of Puerto Rico in 2003. She currently lives in Marco Island, Florida with her husband Albert Benarroch, two sons Zachary (14) and Daniel (12) Benarroch, and their 3-year-old Golden Retriever Rocky. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in New Media and Communications from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a United States Air Force Veteran having served from 1990-1992 during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Yvette is the co-owner of Affordable Landscaping Service & Design, LLC, a full-service landscaping company serving the Naples and Marco Island Area. Passionate about nature and the environment she furthered her education in the fields of Horticulture, Arboriculture and Entomology earning her certifications in each one of those fields. She is also a certified trainer in the Florida Green Industries Best Management Practices helping educate workers in that industry. Her love and gratitude for this country encouraged her to become more involved in politics. She is currently the Hispanic Outreach Director for the Collier County Republican Executive Committee, Committeewoman for Collier County Precinct 190 and a member of the Collier County Campaign 2020 Committee. Yvette was instrumental in opening the Collier & Lee County Chapter of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly in August of 2019 and was elected as the Chairwoman for the organization. Yvette is a member at large for the Florida Federated Republican Women Executive Committee and the Chair for the Diversity Committee. In her free time Yvette loves to play tennis, ballroom dance, help the community and spend time with her family.

With guest co-host Charles "Chuck" Trinone & Michelle Cooley, and guests Dr. Garry “Pearl” Pierce and Retired Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9) Isaac Ford Jr. Some failures, disappointments, and life's challenges make us strong and give us Confidence to achieve anything that we are confronted with, but we first must have FAITH in our Lord and secondly, we must have the right ATTITUDE. Most importantly you will receive GRATITUDE in yourself and others knowing you did not give up when you were experiencing difficult times. Find out more about A.C.E, ATTITUDE, COMMITMENT, and ENTHUSIASM on tomorrow's show. Chuck brings more than 25 years of experience as a nonprofit fundraising professional and consultant in the education, faith-based, and healthcare sectors. As a consultant, he led more than 110 campaigns, raising over $235 million to assist clients in accomplishing their goals. Michelle is a native of New York City, NY and currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas. She has been married to James (JC) Cooley for 12 years. Michelle has a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing Management, and a Master's Degree in Marketing from Concordia University Nebraska. She has been part of the JC Cooley Foundation since its inception. In 2005, Dr. Pierce established a non-denominational organization, Ambassadors for Christ Worldwide Ministries, Inc. where he leads the movement to assist families in need from financial blessings to personal and spiritual counseling. He has created a niche for his ministry in connecting with youth, collegiate and professional athletes. He believes that through empowering and equipping athletes with practical and spiritual nourishment, they are able to perform better on the field and in life in general. Isaac Ford is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Isaac completed his Masters in Social Work at the USC School of Social Work and served as the Assistant Director of Military & Diversity Outreach there. Isaac is also the owner of Isaac Ford Jr. & Associates, LLC, a company specializing in Diversity & Inclusion Consulting, real estate investing, photography, and motivational speaking. Support the show: https://theanswersandiego.com/radioshow/8349 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Guest Co-Host Retired Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9) Isaac Ford Jr., and guests Dr. Breon Haskett, Master Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, Ret., John Johnson II (CWO2) Retired, and Mr. Ken Boler, Medically Retired Technical Sergeant. To acknowledge appreciation to those who have served their country and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect this great nation. To identify some outstanding veterans who helped shape our future generations of the military and those who are serving today. To show that veterans coming out of the military can greatly succeed in transitioning into civilian life and careers. Isaac Ford is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Isaac completed his Masters in Social Work at the USC School of Social Work and served as the Assistant Director of Military & Diversity Outreach there. Isaac is also the owner of Isaac Ford Jr. & Associates, LLC, a company specializing in Diversity & Inclusion Consulting, real estate investing, photography, and motivational speaking. Breon is a retired Marine of 25 years, speaker, youth advocate and Community leader. For over 20 years he served in various volunteer capacities as a street outreach worker and advocate for homeless, trafficked, and at-risk youth. Currently, and in that capacity, he locates and builds trust and community with at-risk African American youth in and around the Atlanta metropolitan area, in the hopes that a mentoring/supportive relationship can be built and fostered. John Johnson II served with pride in the United States Navy for twenty years and is a Fellow at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control where he is the Cybersecurity Technical Lead for his business area which includes Grand Prairie Texas and Orlando Florida. He leads a geographically diverse team of Cyber System Security Engineers who development specialized embedded products for their various product lines. Ken is an Air Force veteran who served abroad during Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield and at posts in South Korea and Panama. He's a newspaper man with a multimedia flair who understands the paradigm shift brought about by today's technology-savvy media consumer. Support the show: https://theanswersandiego.com/radioshow/8349 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William E. JonesPresident of Virginia Black History Month Association Mr. William E. Jones, USMC (retired) was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in Baltimore, Maryland where he enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1981. During his 21-year tenure as a Marine, he fulfilled various assignments to include supporting the Multi-National Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon and participating in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.As a government civilian, Mr. Jones has worked with the U.S. Navy as the Deputy Assistant Program Manager for Systems Engineering as well as with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) as Deputy Program Manager for the Biological Combat Assessment System. He later held the position of Program Manager for DTRA's Transformational Medical Technologies Program. Today, Mr. Jones is a Senior Management Analyst at Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Virginia. Several years ago, Mr. Jones was selected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Gladys P. Todd Academy, which tutored and mentored young high school students which provided college scholarships that allow them to graduate from community college before graduating from high school. Last year, Mr. Jones was elected as the Vice-Chairman and Board of Directors of the Marine Corps Systems Command's Diversity Awareness Program. The program manages and oversees the celebrations for the eight Special Emphasis Programs recognized by the Department of Defense.Mr. Jones' impressive and extensive educational background includes graduating from the U.S. Army Chemical School and Parachute School. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Science from the University of Maryland. He is also a graduate of the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, with a Master of Science in Systems Engineering. In 2016, Mr. Jones furthered his graduate studies at the University of Maryland, graduating with a Master of Business Administration (MBA).His decorations include: the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal 2nd award, the Marine Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, and the U.S. Army Parachute Wings.Mr. Jones hobbies include volunteering as a Sabbath School Teacher and Assistant Head Elder at the Fredericksburg Seven-Day Adventist Church where he worships, as well as serving as Founder/President of the Virginia Black History Month Association. He was also appointed to the Spotsylvania County Board of Directors for Minority Affairs Committee, which ensures fair and equal hiring for local county positions. In 2004, he was selected for the Department of Defense “2005 Today's Military” ad campaign, which published his picture and personal story in magazines like Ebony, Money, The Smithsonian, Sports Illustrated, and many more.Mr. Jones currently resides in Spotsylvania, Virginia with his wife of 32 years, Wanda, and their five children, Jessica (35) a Clinical Pharmacist, Danielle (33) a Chemist with the EPA, Joshua (29), AV Technician employed with the University of Mary Washington, Matthew (27) a college Junior, and Benjamin (20), a Music Major and recent graduate from the University of Mary Washington.To pre-purchase a copy of the BH365 curriculum visit at:www.blackhistory365edcation.com.Follow Us weekly, every Friday at www.BHM365.com Email us at info@bhm365.comEpisodes Edited by: Juels N. Evans, Tech Engineer EditorPodcast music: Soundstrips.com, Title-Bitz*This is apart of BH365 Education posted for the public.

William E. JonesPresident of Virginia Black History Month Association Mr. William E. Jones, USMC (retired) was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in Baltimore, Maryland where he enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1981. During his 21-year tenure as a Marine, he fulfilled various assignments to include supporting the Multi-National Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon and participating in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. As a government civilian, Mr. Jones has worked with the U.S. Navy as the Deputy Assistant Program Manager for Systems Engineering as well as with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) as Deputy Program Manager for the Biological Combat Assessment System. He later held the position of Program Manager for DTRA's Transformational Medical Technologies Program. Today, Mr. Jones is a Senior Management Analyst at Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Virginia. Several years ago, Mr. Jones was selected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Gladys P. Todd Academy, which tutored and mentored young high school students which provided college scholarships that allow them to graduate from community college before graduating from high school. Last year, Mr. Jones was elected as the Vice-Chairman and Board of Directors of the Marine Corps Systems Command's Diversity Awareness Program. The program manages and oversees the celebrations for the eight Special Emphasis Programs recognized by the Department of Defense. Mr. Jones' impressive and extensive educational background includes graduating from the U.S. Army Chemical School and Parachute School. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Science from the University of Maryland. He is also a graduate of the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, with a Master of Science in Systems Engineering. In 2016, Mr. Jones furthered his graduate studies at the University of Maryland, graduating with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). His decorations include: the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal 2nd award, the Marine Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, and the U.S. Army Parachute Wings. Mr. Jones hobbies include volunteering as a Sabbath School Teacher and Assistant Head Elder at the Fredericksburg Seven-Day Adventist Church where he worships, as well as serving as Founder/President of the Virginia Black History Month Association. He was also appointed to the Spotsylvania County Board of Directors for Minority Affairs Committee, which ensures fair and equal hiring for local county positions. In 2004, he was selected for the Department of Defense “2005 Today's Military” ad campaign, which published his picture and personal story in magazines like Ebony, Money, The Smithsonian, Sports Illustrated, and many more. Mr. Jones currently resides in Spotsylvania, Virginia with his wife of 32 years, Wanda, and their five children, Jessica (35) a Clinical Pharmacist, Danielle (33) a Chemist with the EPA, Joshua (29), AV Technician employed with the University of Mary Washington, Matthew (27) a college Junior, and Benjamin (20), a Music Major and recent graduate from the University of Mary Washington. To pre-purchase a copy of the BH365 curriculum visit at:www.blackhistory365edcation.com.Follow Us weekly, every Friday at www.BHM365.com Email us at info@bhm365.comEpisodes Edited by: Juels N. Evans, Tech Engineer EditorPodcast music: Soundstrips.com, Title-Bitz*This is apart of BH365 Education posted for the public.

I remember in the early '90's the call to action that the American military was about to experience through Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. It was a time that the strength of our military was going to be put to the test. During deployment, it was a massive undertaking. We had to send massive amounts of equipment, artillery, firepower in general and manpower to the Middle East to prepare and fight. It was a time of unrest for our nation and our young men and women who were being called to serve in a manner that could require them to lay down their lives.

Shawn C. Jones, MD is an ear, nose and throat physician and head and neck surgeon who was board certified in Otolaryngology in 1994. He is the senior and founding member of his specialty group, Purchase ENT, in Paducah, KY and is a member of the gratis faculty of the University of Louisville School of Medicine in the Department of Otolaryngology. He is the Author of the book Find The Heart In Art: A Surgeon’s Renaissance Approach to Healing Modern Medical Burnout. Service has always been important to Dr. Jones. He joined the U.S. Army Reserve 1983 and served on Active Duty in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991 as a Captain in the Medical Corps. He has also given back on overseas medical mission trips to Romania, Kenya, and Honduras.

Our guest is Cee Freeman, Vice President of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association. In 2010, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm was becoming just a side note in history. Its founder was moved to act and initiated the effort to construct a memorial in Washington, D.C. to both memorialize those who lost their lives and educate visitors from America and around the world. Since 2011, the National Desert Storm War Memorial (NDSWM) has worked to achieve its singular mission, construction of the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial. NDSWM is on track to complete and dedicate the memorial on Veterans Day 2021. This episode was hosted by SOFREP writer and Green Beret, Steve Balestrieri. If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Bill Schafer was born to a career Army Soldier. His father per- formed his patriotic duty in many locations during his 20+ years in the Army. Bill and his four siblings were born in different locations (New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Germany). Floyd and his wife of 65+ years now reside in Maryland.  Maryland is where Bill met Robin in 1981 and they married in 1984. Robin dedicated herself to taking care of soldiers and their families and raised their three outstanding children. Jacqueline, born in North Carolina, now lives in Atlanta, GA. She obtained her masters degree and now works in management. Krystalle, born in Germany, lives in San Antonio, TX and is a school teacher. Joseph, born in Arkansas, lives in Tucson, AZ and is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Arizona. Bill is a retired Colonel from the United States Army with over 32 years of uniformed service and 5 years of service as a Department of the Army Civilian. Bill retired from the Army in October 2014. He continued to work until 2019 as Director of Human Resources. He and his wife, Robin, chose to make Iowa their home and reside in Warren county.  Bill graduated from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsyl- vania with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. A Distinguished Military Graduate, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant and was a perfect fit for the United States Army Infantry. Bill is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College and the Senior Service College. He earned a Master of Arts in Human Resources Management from Webster University of Missouri and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces  Lieutenant Schafer was first assigned to the 1st Battalion (Air- borne), 325th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg where he served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Mortar Platoon Leader, Anti- Tank Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer. He was then assigned to Kirchgoens, Germany serving as the Human Resource Officer. Later he deployed to combat during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm as Commander of C Company of the 5th Bat- talion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Armor Division. His other military assignments included Anti-tank Platoon Ob- server/Controller and Rifle Company Senior Observer/Controller for Joint Readiness Training Center; Small Group Instructor for the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment; Commander, E Company of the 4th Ranger Training Battalion and the Assistant Operations Officer of the Ranger Train- ing Brigade. After graduating from the Command & General Staff Officer College, Major Schafer served as the Human Resource Officer for the Infantry Training Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia; Executive Officer for the 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, Infantry Training Brigade; Operations Officer for the 4th Ranger Training Battalion, Ranger Training Brigade; Executive Officer for the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division; and Operations Officer for the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.  Lieutenant Colonel Schafer served overseas in Osan, Korea as the Operations Officer for the 3rd Battlefield Coordination Detach- ment of the 8th Armys Combined/Joint Operations Center. He was then deployed to Iraq as the Commander, 1st Battalion, 12th In- fantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division as part of Oper- ation Iraqi Freedom. After returning from Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Schafer transitioned the Infantry Battalion into 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment. He also served as a Senior Infantry Battalion Observer Controller at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana and Chief, Joint Training Functional Capabilities Board, Operational Plans and Joint Force Development, J7 at the Pentagon. While assigned to First Army, Colonel Schafer served as Commander, 5th Armored Brigade, Division West; Deputy Chief of Staff, for Operations (G3), and culminated his military career as the Chief of Staff.  His recognitions include the Superior Civilian Service Award, Commanders Award for Civilian Service, Defense Superior Ser- vice Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Bronze Star with 2 awards of Valor, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritori- ous Service Metal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achieve- ment Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary, Global War on Terrorism and Korea Defense Service Medals, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Master Parachute Badge, and the Ranger Tab.Bill Schafer served in the Department of the Army, First Army as the Senior Human Resource Director, Deputy Chief of Staff (G-1) for Headquarters from October 2014 through May 2019. He resigned from federal service in May 2019 in order to run for The United States Congress and continue his life of service as a representative for the Iowans of district 3.  Website: schaferforcongress.com Email: contact@schaferforcongress.com Facebook: me/Billschaferiowacongress Twitter: @billschaferiowa

Lieutenant General Robert L. Caslen Jr. served in the U.S. Army for 43 years, and he retired in 2018 as the 59th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He talks with Jim and Jan about the responsibility that came with his role as superintendent. They also discuss diversity in leadership, winning in a complex world, the role ethics and character play in leadership, and his fondness for the new generation of leaders.  Under his direction as Superintendent, the Academy was recognized as the number one public college in the Nation by Forbes Magazine and the number one public college by U.S. News and World Report.   Key Takeaways [3:18] Yes, Lt. Caslen really did kill a deer by drowning it.   [9:08] Lt. Caslen’s role as the 59th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point gave him an opportunity to make an impact on the next generation of leaders. He saw it as one of the best opportunities to build a legacy of future leaders in the military and in their communities. [12:06] It is important for leaders to make everyone feel valuable and to be sensitive to policies that polarize or discriminate.    [16:21] Great leaders are equipped to lead diverse organizations. They develop future leaders that recognize others as a valued member of the team. Lt. Caslen believes in everyone having the opportunity to serve, regardless of ethnicity, sexual preference or gender. [20:29] Before becoming the West Point Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Caslen served as the chief of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, where he served as the senior military commander in Iraq after the drawdown of U.S. and allied forces in 2011.  He also has served in combat and overseas deployments in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, JTF-B in Honduras, and Operation Uphold Democracy and the United Nations Mission in Haiti. [24:22] The most important element of leadership is trust. When we lead with competence and character, those around trust us and our actions match our words. [26:03] When you are engaged, empowered, and energetic, it shows others you care. [28:31] Leaders must understand the complex nature of their battlefield, and also possess the interpersonal skills to develop relationships that support others. [32:17] Great leaders should be on the edge of seeing how technology will affect our future, and also empower others by underwriting the risks of making mistakes. [37:37] Whether we are leading big organizations or individuals, savvy leaders respond to compromising situations to the best of their abilities and their values consistently remain in tact. [46:17] The next generation continues to inspire Lt. Caslen. [48:18] Lt. Caslen’s challenge to us: Be more engaged, and live a life of constant learning, as it enables us to continue to give back. The more senior you are, the more opportunity you have to give back.   Quotes “Perseverance is persistence.” “When you find a way to bring people together, they feel good in your presence.” “The first lesson of leadership was to learn how to follow.” “Trust is a function of competence and character.” “We have to have character internalized 24 hours a day, and I think that’s how it ought to be for all of us.” “Let’s live a life that has our values internalized.” The Speed of Trust Twitter | Facebook | Website

In this special Veterans Day edition of HAZARD GROUND, Mark talks with United War Veterans Council (UWVC) Executive Director, producer of the NYC Veterans Day Parade, and Marine veteran of the Panama Invasion and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Mark Otto. Otto only spent four years in the Marine Corps, but he packed a lot into those four years, playing a key role in two large military operations, among other special work. Following his time in the Marine Corps, he went on to become a regular trader on the floor of the NY Stock Exchange. Today, Otto continues to support veterans by leading multiple veterans' advocacy volunteer events and programs through the UWVC. He even shares with us an incredible story of his connection with the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, and how the circumstances surrounding that event came back to visit him decades later after his involvement in Desert Storm! www.uwvc.org This episode is once again brought to you by our latest sponsor, Cabela's - the world's foremost outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear! Cabela's provides everyone, from the expert hunter and angler to the family looking to get away on a weekend camping trip with the right gear at the best prices! So if you're looking to outfit your next big adventure, or just looking for some great gear to use around the house or cabin, go to our Sponsors page, hazardground.com/sponsors, and click on the Cabela's banner. You have to go through our Sponsors page if you want to help out the show...And make the most of your next outdoor adventure! We are still running our Amazon promotion, so if you shop at Amazon, go to www.hazardground.com, click on the Amazon banner on the home page, and do your Amazon shopping from there. IT COSTS YOU NOTHING, and it helps the show out tremendously! THE BEST PART IS we'll be donating the proceeds from this partnership to the vet organizations featured on this podcast. So help us out, help out these great organizations, and head over to hazardground.com and click on the Amazon banner today, and shop away! Thank you, thank you, thank you for listening...Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes!

Summary: The idea for Veterans Recovery Resources came to John through time and experience. John is a combat Veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-91), Kosovo (2005-06) and Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2015). He has over 31 years reserve military service including 12 years as an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and over 18 years as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He also served an eighteen month tour at the Pentagon in the Office of the Surgeon General at Headquarters, Department of the Army (2009-2010). While John’s specialty is hospital administration, he brings the credibility of being a Veteran himself. John has walked in the shoes of Veterans and those in recovery. He has seen the challenges facing Veterans in receiving the timely and quality care they need, as well as the community of fellowship that is so key to leading a successful civilian life in recovery. John has a bold vision for how military Veterans can recover from the trauma and issues they face. That vision is Veterans Recovery Resources. After the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 expanded the use of non-Veterans Affairs care for veterans located more than 40 miles from a Veterans Affairs facility, and for those for whom care is not available in a timely fashion, John decided to act. He launched the organization in 2015 and created a Board of Directors with Jim Ware and Mike Plattenburg. He started working with Todd Greer and Dr. Joe Currier. The Advisory Board grew. The momentum for Veterans Recovery Resources continues to grow because the need is so dire. John and his team are committed to making Veterans Recovery Resources a reality.  In This Particular Episode You Will Learn: How Veterans Recovery Resources began The need for collaboration rather than competition when it comes to veteran mental health Getting treatment where you live VRR's Peer Support Symposium The Crisis Period of suicide 360 Degree person fitness John's personal recovery story the Army's Confidential Alcohol Treatment and Education Program (CATEP) Connection to others as a key to wellness Community Collaboration Links Mentioned in This Episode: South Alabama Veterans Council Veterans Recovery Resources Want to keep up with all of the Head Space and Timing content? Subscribe Here    You can be sure to find future episodes of Head Space and Timing, and all of the CYPOV Podcast Network Shows, by subscribing through your Podcast player of choice, like iTunes. Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Change Your POV Podcast within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. Do you want to check out Duane's latest book, Combat Vet Don't Mean Crazy? Check it out by finding it on Amazon 

Summary: The idea for Veterans Recovery Resources came to John through time and experience. John is a combat Veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-91), Kosovo (2005-06) and Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2015). He has over 31 years reserve military service including 12 years as an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and over 18 years as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He also served an eighteen month tour at the Pentagon in the Office of the Surgeon General at Headquarters, Department of the Army (2009-2010). While John’s specialty is hospital administration, he brings the credibility of being a Veteran himself. John has walked in the shoes of Veterans and those in recovery. He has seen the challenges facing Veterans in receiving the timely and quality care they need, as well as the community of fellowship that is so key to leading a successful civilian life in recovery. John has a bold vision for how military Veterans can recover from the trauma and issues they face. That vision is Veterans Recovery Resources. After the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 expanded the use of non-Veterans Affairs care for veterans located more than 40 miles from a Veterans Affairs facility, and for those for whom care is not available in a timely fashion, John decided to act. He launched the organization in 2015 and created a Board of Directors with Jim Ware and Mike Plattenburg. He started working with Todd Greer and Dr. Joe Currier. The Advisory Board grew. The momentum for Veterans Recovery Resources continues to grow because the need is so dire. John and his team are committed to making Veterans Recovery Resources a reality.  In This Particular Episode You Will Learn: How Veterans Recovery Resources began The need for collaboration rather than competition when it comes to veteran mental health Getting treatment where you live VRR's Peer Support Symposium The Crisis Period of suicide 360 Degree person fitness John's personal recovery story the Army's Confidential Alcohol Treatment and Education Program (CATEP) Connection to others as a key to wellness Community Collaboration Links Mentioned in This Episode: South Alabama Veterans Council Veterans Recovery Resources Want to keep up with all of the Head Space and Timing content? Subscribe Here    You can be sure to find future episodes of Head Space and Timing, and all of the CYPOV Podcast Network Shows, by subscribing through your Podcast player of choice, like iTunes. Using an app makes subscribing and listening to podcasts (both ours and others) so much simpler. Just subscribe to Change Your POV Podcast within your app and it will automatically update every time a new episode is released. Do you want to check out Duane's latest book, Combat Vet Don't Mean Crazy? Check it out by finding it on Amazon 

Col. Stephen Potter joined the Michigan National Guard in 1992 as a Chemical Platoon Leader and has since served in several assignments within the military police field. He has two combat deployments in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom. He has also deployed in numerous non-combat deployments and humanitarian relieve missions including Haiti in response to natural disasters. His latest deployment is to Liberia as part of Operation Onward Liberty. “This is a 5-year program, intended to provide uniformed US military mentors and advisors to the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) to develop the AFL’s ability to independently sustain and train the force, contribute to the development of a professional officer and NCO corps, and institute a unit training and evaluation system that reinforces an enduring AFL ability to support the national security objectives of the government of Liberia”.

Episode #76 is a discussion with Dr. David Jaques, VP of Surgical Services at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Jaques is a skilled surgical oncologist and surgery department administrator. He came to Barnes-Jewish after serving as vice chairman of the department of surgery and director of graduate education at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He received his medical degree at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, which was followed by a distinguished career in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He served as a combat surgeon in the Persian Gulf War and was later chief of surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as an oncologist. He served as the senior medical officer during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Honors during Dr. Jaques' time in the U.S. Army Medical Corps include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. In this podcast, Dr. Jaques talks about how he has led Lean efforts that involve physicians in a unique "6/3" format that helps solve tightly-scoped problems without the need to have surgeons and clinicians for a full 4-day kaizen event. We discuss how he got started with Lean, improvements that were made in the "Mass Transfusion Protocol," and their broader Lean and physician engagement efforts. Really fascinating and innovative stuff. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.