Podcasts about senior chief

What happens when a high-speed, cyber-savvy Senior Chief finally puts it in park? CTRCS Candace Esquivel joins us fresh off two decades of doing all the things—deploying nonstop, supporting special warfare, shaping policy on the Hill, and holding it down at N17 like it's the Pentagon's group chat. Now she's eyeing retirement and asking the real questions: Do I want a family? Should I adopt? Can I slow down without losing my mind? And why the hell do flowers die so fast? We get into the deep stuff—miscarriage, fertility, career identity—and still find time to roast the Chiefs Mess, crack jokes about uniform shortages, and break news about a raccoon in Ohio caught with a meth pipe. (You read that right.) It's honest, layered, and just the right amount of petty. A love letter to the women holding it all down, and a reminder that you're allowed to walk away even when you're great at what you do.   What We Talk About: •Life at N17 and what Sailors don't see behind policy •Deploying every year for 9 straight years •Why she's walking away at 20 years—and what comes next •Fertility fears, freezing eggs, and making space for motherhood •The realities of military pregnancy and miscarriage •Chiefs Mess culture—who's in it, and who's missing •What it means to “complete your mission” and still want more •And yes… a raccoon with a meth pipe in Ohio   About CTRCS Candace Esquivel: A Cleveland native and a member of the 9/11 generation, CTRCS Esquivel enlisted in the Navy in 2005. Her career spans deployments aboard the USS BUNKER HILL and USS BOXER, elite service with Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and cyber ops with Joint Cyber Operations Group. In 2022, she served as a DoD Congressional Fellow advising on cyber and defense policy. A graduate of the Navy and Joint Special Operations Senior Enlisted Academies, she holds a bachelor's in Management Studies and serves as a board member of The Valkyrie Project, championing female service members across the force.       Connect With Candace & The Valkyrie Project: •The Valkyrie Project •YouTube: Military Women's Symposiums •LinkedIn: Candace Esquivel       To have your “Do Better” reviewed on a future episode, please get in touch with us at ptsfpodcast@gmail.com       Keep up with the ‘Permission to Speak Freely' podcast on our social media and YouTube - https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast       Additional Credits: PTSF “Theme Music” - Produced by Lim0

Listen to the adventures of retired United States Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Wil Florez and his over 20 years of service while balancing family life and multiple deployments to sea in the service of our nation.Our library of shows can be found at www.veteranscornerradio.comJoin us on Facebook at the page Veterans Corner RadioYou can contact our host Joe Muhlberger at joseph.muhlberger@gmail.com

There's belief from some that Europe can fill the gaps in support for Ukraine. The US is pausing all military aid to the country - including weapons in transit and waiting in Poland. The Presidents of America and Ukraine had a heated exchange at the White House over the weekend. Former US Navy Senior Chief Malcolm Nance says only 20 percent of weapons and equipment in Ukraine come from the US. "Where they will lack, initially, will be some of the more advanced technologies - but Europe can backfill all of that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Dr. Villarreal talks with David Carter, Senior Chief of Financial Officer. They talk about  the commonly asked question - Is Rockwall ISD Fully Funded?

In this episode, retired Senior Chief Engineer Carey Cannon shares his 38-year journey at Bell Helicopter, talking about the realities of developing and deploying vertical lift aircraft. He discusses why many eVTOL manufacturers underestimate the time and cost required, why getting in the air is the easy part, and the enduring principles of helicopter design. Carey reflects on key programs like the V280 and EagleEye, the technology gaps he encountered, and the biggest technical and commercial hurdles eVTOLs must overcome. He also explores why traditional helicopter OEMs are cautious about eVTOLs and why few startups will survive the transition to electrified passenger transport.

Nick is joined by RTE and Racing TV broadcaster Jane Mangan to discuss the latest from around the racing world. They lead with news that star French chaser Il Eat Francais is back in work and could still target the King George. Trainer Noel George also has news of this weekend's Coral Gold Cup fancy General en Chef. Plus, Henry de Bromhead on Senior Chief in that race and a while host of stable stars, including Slade Steel and Monty's Star, while Eddie Harty has a fascinating story about the ownership of his own Newbury contender Grandero Bello. Ben and Molly are back with our weekly Pointing update, with pod pointer Baunmore Jet set to debut at Larkhill this weekend. NHRM Chair Frances Stanley drops in to tell us about Presents Galore, your opportunity to do some Christmas shopping in Newmarket this weekend.

Nick is joined by RTE and Racing TV broadcaster Jane Mangan to discuss the latest from around the racing world. They lead with news that star French chaser Il Eat Francais is back in work and could still target the King George. Trainer Noel George also has news of this weekend's Coral Gold Cup fancy General en Chef. Plus, Henry de Bromhead on Senior Chief in that race and a while host of stable stars, including Slade Steel and Monty's Star, while Eddie Harty has a fascinating story about the ownership of his own Newbury contender Grandero Bello. Ben and Molly are back with our weekly Pointing update, with pod pointer Baunmore Jet set to debut at Larkhill this weekend. NHRM Chair Frances Stanley drops in to tell us about Presents Galore, your opportunity to do some Christmas shopping in Newmarket this weekend.

Champ.ie Horse Racing Podcast | Season 6 Episode 8

Join our poetry Salon and Open Mic: https://parallax-media-network.mn.co/share/5hSLvQW7bNszFGEo?utm_source=manual About Joe Ross Author of over fifteen books of poetry, Joe Ross was born in Pennsylvania and graduated magna cum laude from the Honors Program at Temple University in Philadelphia. He soon moved thereafter to Washington, D.C. where he wrote his first book, Guards of the Heart, consisting of four plays written in poetic form. In Washington D.C., he worked at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was extraordinarily active in the cultural scene of that city. He served as the President of the Board of the Poetry Committee at The Folger Shakespeare Library from 1994-1997 and as the Literary Editor of the arts bi-monthly The Washington Review from 1991-1997. He also Co-founded and directed the In Your Ear poetry reading series at the District of Columbia Arts Center. During these years Ross continued to publish poetry, including How to Write; or, I used to be in love with my jailer (Texture Press, 1992); An American Voyage (Sun & Moon Press, 1993); Push (Leave Books, 1994); De-flections (Potes and Poets, 1994); Full Silence (Upper Limit Music, 1995); and The Fuzzy Logic Series (Texture Press, 1996). His poetry reveals close links with the "Language" poets but seeks in its often disjunctive structure, puns, and linguistic riddles, to be accessible to a large audience. Many of Ross's poems are subliminally political while concerned with love and interrelations between individuals. The American Voyage, in particular, concerns the idealism of American culture and its failures as a culture to live up to those ideals. Douglas Messerli, Publisher of Sun & Moon Press In 1997 he received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship Award for his poetry and moved to San Diego, where he worked for The City of San Diego Commission's for Arts and Culture. In 1999, he left that position to put his poetics into practice, and to work directly in politics. He served as the Senior Chief of Policy for several elected officials. He also continued to be very active in the San Diego cultural scene, serving as a board member of the San Diego Art Institute and Co-founding and curating the Beyond the Page reading series in that city. Two more books appeared: The Wood Series (Seeing Eye Books, 1997); and EQUATIONS=equals (Green Integer, 2004). In 2003 he received his first of three Gertrude Stein Poetry Awards. In 2004, he moved to Paris, where he continues to publish while working in communication and social change. His most recent titles are: Strati (Bi-lingual Italian/English, La Camera Verde, 2007); Strata (Dusie Press, 2008); Wordlick (Green Integer, 2011); 1000 Folds (Chax Press, 2014); Last Days on Earth (Dusie Press, 2017); and History and its Making – The Making of History (Bi-lingual French/English, Presses Universitaires de Rouen et du Havre, 2017). Forthcoming, Where Was The Flag Before, (Chax Press, 2025). BOOKS : Guards of the Heart: Four Plays (Sun & Moon Press, 1990) How to Write; or, I used to be in love with my jailer (Texture Press, 1992) An American Voyage (Sun & Moon Press, 1993) Push (Leave Books, 1994) De-flections (Potes & Poets Press, 1994) Full Silence (Upper Limit Music Press, 1995) The Fuzzy Logic Series (Texture Press, 1996) The Wood Series (Seeing Eye Books, 1997) EQUATIONS =equals (Green Integer Press, 2004) Strati (Bi-lingual Italian/English, La Camera Verde, 2007) FRACTURED // Conections … (Bi-lingual Italian/English, La Camera Verde, 2008) Strata (Dusie Press, 2008) Wordlick (Green Integer, 2011) 1000 Folds (Chax Press, 2014) Threads in Time (Atelier de Villemorge, 2016 Livre d'artiste, gravures by Jacky Essirard) History and its Making – The Making of History, (Bi-lingual French/English, Presses Universitaires de Rouen et du Havre, 2017) Last Days on Earth, (Dusie Press, 2017) Where Was The Flag Before, (forthcoming, Chax Press, 2025) Anthologies: Debut Edition of - The Best American Poetry 1988, Scribner/MacMillan Publishing Company, John Ashbery Editor Writing From the New Coast, Oblek Press, Peter Gizzi Editor Hungry As We Are, An Anthology of Washington DC Poet, Washington Writers Publishing House, Ann Darr, editor PIP Anthology of World Poetry of the 20th Century Vol 5. “Intersection – Innovative Poetry in Southern California, Green Integer Press; Douglas Messerli, Editor Honors: Gertrude Stein Poetry Awards, 2003, 2005, and 2006 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Literature, 1997 District of Columbia Commission for Arts and Humanities Grant Recipient, 1992 & 1997 International Who's Who in Poetry, Cambridge, ENGLAND

Send us a textSenior Chief Candace Esquivel joined the Navy in 2005 as a cryptologic technician with advanced training in signals exploitation systems. From there, she went to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, where she worked as a SIGINT Geospatial Analyst. At Dev Gru, she was selected as an Intelligence Detachment Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO) for Tactical Evaluation and Development Squadron THREE, where she deployed and served as a Director of Intelligence (J2) for two rotations in the CENTCOM AOR supporting overseas contingency operations.She then screened for and was selected for duty at the Joint Cyber Operations Group, where she was a Troop Senior Enlisted Leader before she was selected as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader to establish North Squadron, an O5 operational squadron.In 2021, Senior Chief Esquivel was selected as a DoD Congressional Fellow for Representative Seth Moulton. While serving in the House of Representatives, she advised the Congressman on technical policy, cyber operations and talent management, and information operations across the DoD.Senior Chief Esquivel holds a bachelor's degree in management studies and is pursuing her master's in management interdisciplinary studies. Currently, she is a policy analyst in the Office of Culture and Force Resilience's Office of Women's Policy, where she works to develop and implement policies involving Navy servicewomen in coordination with the higher authorities in the DoD, like the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Chief of Naval Personnel.  More about Candace:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candace-esquivel-a41669270/The Valkyrie Project: https://www.thevalkyrieproject.org/Timestamps:00:00:22 Introduction to Senior Chief Candace Esquivel00:01:55 Walkthrough of Candace Esquival's Career00:06:01 Role as Signals Analyst and J200:07:36 What Type of Signals Are Analyzed?00:08:27 How Vulnerable Are Smart Devices?00:12:21 Protecting Yourself from Data Tracking00:14:59 Protecting Yourself on Social Media00:17:20 Hilarious Failed Attempts of Espionage00:18:44 Selection Process for DEVGRU and JCOG00:25:22 What Does it Mean to Be a Congressional Fellow?00:28:57 Which Policies Does Candace Esquivel Push For?00:30:54 What Does the Office of Culture and Force Resilience Do?00:34:30 Sponsor Note: Fuelmydayfoods.com00:35:11 Changes for Women in the DoD Communities00:40:07 Progress in Fertility Services00:47:29 Possible Toxins During Deployment00:53:52 New Policies for Women00:58:20 CFL Training 01:01:37 Adaptable Training and Modifications for Health and Recovery01:03:21 Best and Worst Advice Received01:07:00 Outro

On today's show we have The Senior Chief back to discuss why he prefers the rifle over the pistol in most circumstances. As an avid supporter of carrying a firearm daily and training how you carry, it's important to talk about the amount of people who prefer to train on their rifle more than their […] The post ZERT Coffee & Chaos 78 – Self-Defense Strategies: Why Choose a Rifle Over a Pistol appeared first on Firearms Radio Network.

A Hiking Accident brings Mark and Carrie Together.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Mark and Carrie never met before, until an accident to Carrie, brought them together, and now maybe for good.Chapter 1.I’m Mark. 39 years old, single, a computer geek who is lucky enough that I can work from home, and make my own hours. I wasn’t always like this. When I was 18, I had a choice, jail or join the service. I just made some bad decisions back then, doing drugs and getting in fights. So I opted for the Marines. I spent 15 years with them, and advanced to Master Sergeant, which is the fourth highest position an NCO can go. Served 3 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are true shit holes. Great thing about the service, besides 3 square meals a day and a place to sleep, you can be taught almost any useful job in the world, which is where I learned computer programing.Now I pretty much free-lance my abilities out and make a good wage. Most times I have jobs to do, but sometimes I don’t and have lots of free time. If I do have jobs, I can make my own hours.I don’t have a steady woman at this time, and I am  okay with that. Being deployed all the time, whether it was in the Middle East, or on some ship with a bunch of Squids, I really had no time for a relationship.I had been out almost a year this past August, when I decided I needed some down time. I decided I was going to the Adirondacks and do some hiking. I grew up outside of Syracuse NY., and have always wanted to go there. My one uncle owns a cabin up there and offered it to me when he heard I wanted to go hiking up there. He told me it had one bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, and a living room with fireplace. It had running water and electricity. He warned me that I would need to turn on the hot water tank, since they shut it down last fall, after they used it last.I had decided that I would take two weeks to explore all the different mountain ranges this area had, finishing up at Mt. Marcy, the highest of them all. Since it was just after Labor Day, tourism should be at a low, with vacationers and school kids back into their routines. My plan was to hike daily, a different range, and if need be, camp out at night. Being a Marine, we are taught all types of survival skills, so this would be no problem for me. One thing my uncle did ask me to do, is stop at the Ranger station and let them know I would be occupying the cabin for a length of time. People sometimes like to use squatter rights and just use cabins, regardless if they are allowed, or not.I also like that the temperature doesn’t get to warm up there either. I prefer cool nights and just warm days. Maybe it’s because of my time in that hell hole of the middle east. My trip took almost 4 hours to get to where I wanted to go.Chapter 2.The skies were quite cloudy when I pulled into the Ranger Station. I got out of my truck and headed to the stations door, and when I opened it, a woman was coming out at the same time and we bumped into each other. We both apologized, then laughed, and then she continued on to her vehicle.After letting a ranger know where I was going and for how long, I exited the station and headed back to my truck. That’s when I noticed her again. She was 5 ‘7, maybe 130 lbs., caramel colored skin, hair just past her shoulders, when she let it down. From the side, she did not look like she had very big boobs, they were smallish medium, just the way I actually like them. She was wearing camo style shorts, and a tan polo shirt. Boy, she had nice legs, long and muscular, very toned. If I had to guess her age, early 30’s. Whoever was getting lucky with that, was one lucky son of a bitch. One thing I did notice, she was wearing white running shoes, and not hiking boots. Judging from the backpack she was attempting to put on, she was going hiking and camping out. Running shoes are not the smartest thing to wear hiking. No ankle support what so ever.As I drove off, I stole another look at her, as I drove by. Great looking ass. Bigger than a model would have, but smaller than many of the women I have seen in my lifetime. I exited the parking lot and started heading up Whiteface Mountain. My uncle’s cabin is up about 4 miles from this point, on a long and windy road. If I had to guess, it would be about a third of the way up the mountain, and only because of the road, which I believed was cut out by a snake.Once I arrived, I unloaded everything into the cabin. Found the circuit breaker and turned them on, especially the hot water tank. Too many cold showers in my life, so no need to suffer this time now. One thing I did notice too, the temp was cooler up this high. It was around 70 down by the station, but I bet it dropped a good 10 degrees.Next, I unload my coolers, which had meats and eggs, butter, and all of the necessities needed to eat well. I had enough for 2 weeks, if not more. Also brought along two 12 packs of beer as well, and water. Man I love roughing it.After stowing away my gear and food, I checked the place out. Nice queen size bed, in the bedroom. They even had TV, which I could care less about. May to use for the weather is all I can see a use for it. I’m not one to sit and watch TV much, except for football and maybe playoff baseball.I then went and checked the area out. The back porch had a gas grill on it, plus what looked like a cord of wood. I figured if I used any, I could go into town and buy some to replenish, unless Unc had a chain saw, then I would do my own. I then went for a small hike just around the area.I did not want to venture to far today. It was already after 4pm, and the skies were really getting dark, so some rain, if not storms, were moving in soon. About a ¼ mile into the woods, was a hiking trail, well used too. I wondered if that lady was on this trail, if she even made up this far yet. If she did, she better start preparing her campsite for the weather that was due in soon. I kept hiking for another 30 minutes before heading back to the cabin. I figured a good early start in the morning, may get me to the top by the afternoon, early evening.Chapter 3.I was now back from my little hike and relaxing, but also getting hungry. I settled on frying up some home fries and grill up some Polish kielbasa. I cooked up the potatoes first, and then set the pan in the oven and set it to warm. Then took the meat out to the porch and fired up the grill.It was a little after 6 now and the wind had really picked up and the skies hung low, full of rain that to start shortly. As I waited for the grill to heat up some, I thought I heard someone cry out. At first I thought it could be just the wind, but then I heard it again.I stepped off the porch and headed towards the trail, behind the cabin. As I got on the trail, I heard the cry again, but this time could make out the word Help. I yelled out for the person to keep yelling, so I could judge where it was actually coming from.Whoever it was, must have heard me because the Helps were coming more quickly. I was at least a good half mile now from the cabin when I came upon a woman, lying on the ground, holding her foot. It was the lady I saw down by the ranger station when I first arrived.When she saw me coming she said, “Oh Thank God. I wasn’t sure anyone could hear me.”“What happened?” I asked. “Oh stupid me wasn’t watching where I stepped and then all of a sudden, I’m on the ground from twisting my ankle.” she explained, then went on,“I tried walking on it, but damn, it hurts. I don’t think it is broken.” I kneeled in front of her and took off her shoe, then her wool sock, and could see the ankle was swollen and just starting to turn a little purplish. I’m no doctor, nor was I corpsman in the service, but I have had my share, and have seen many a sprained ankle, and this sure did look like one.After looking at it, I looked up at her face and could see the pain written all over her gorgeous face. I then gently removed her backpack, which had to weigh a good 25 to 30 pounds. “Christ, what the hell is she carrying in this.”, I thought. Then I put the backpack on over my shoulders. Just then, the rain started. “Great, just what I needed”, I thought.“Oh damn. This isn’t good. What are we going to do now?” she asked.“First off, grab my arm and let’s get you up, then we’ll hike back down to my cabin, which I think is about a ½ mile from here.” I said. “By the way, my name is Mark” She retorted back to me “Carolyn, or Carrie to my friends, which you are fast becoming.”With my help, she stood up, using her good leg. Now I am not a tall man, 5’ 10 175 lbs., and still in great shape, since I work out 4 times a week. I then asked her to put her right arm around my neck and I would hold her waist, and we would try and keep all the weight off of the foot.We did quite well actually, and she didn’t complain one time. Only twice did we have to stop and rest a minute. That didn’t matter, we were both soaked to our skin by now, and it was quite chilly out. What should have taken maybe 5 minutes to walk, turned into almost 25 minutes, by the time we got back to the porch of the cabin. At one point, I felt I should have just carried her fireman’s style, just to speed this up.We then entered the cabin. Luckily it was still pretty warm in there, but I knew that wouldn’t last long. I guided her over to a leather chair and had her sit. Then went and got some towels to at least dry off some of the rain.I then went into the bathroom and saw that my uncle had 2 inch wide medical tape and some gauze. I went into my pack and pulled out some Aleve. I came back out, got some water and then handed her the medicine. Then I knelt down and removed her shoe again, sans the sock, since we didn’t put that back on. I carefully dried her foot and ankle, and then wrapped gauze around it, then taped it up.After I finished, I could see she was shaking from being cold now. Both of us were soaked to the skin. I went into my uncles dresser and looked around. My aunt had a set sweats in there. I hope they fit her. My aunt is only 5'4, but is big chested, so the top should be fine. I also pulled out some socks for her as well. I then looked in the closet, and in the back, found a pair of crutches. Uncle’s family comes up here a lot to ski, so crutches would be a wise investment, especially for my one cousin Carol, she is a klutz.I came back into the living room and looked down at her. “ How does that feel now Carrie”“Still hurts, but not like it was, and thank you.” she said. I extended a hand to her and told her to grab it, then pulled her up. “I got you some clothes to change into, and these crutches. The shower is down the hall. A good hot shower should help you warm up a bit . Also, take this baggie and wrap it around your foot and ankle and tape off the top, to keep it dry.”“Oh My God, you are so nice. I am so sorry for being a pain in your ass, but thank you so much.”She trudged down the hall to the bath. I couldn’t help but look at her great legs and chubby ass as she went. I did notice she wore no wedding, or engagement ring, so that was a good thing. Just before she opened the bathroom door, I told her I was going to finish making dinner. She just grinned, but said nothing. Before I did that though, I pulled out some sweats. Both the top and the bottoms had the Marine logo on it. Those sweats last forever.I had to reheat the fried potatoes and then went and relit the grill. The kielbasa was done in about 10 minutes. So when I came back in, she was still not out of the shower. “Women”, I thought. They take so friggin long to get clean. Although I did have some thoughts about how she looked in the shower.I had just finished setting the table, when she arrived back out in the living room. The sweat top was definitely too big for her, yet looked cute. The sweat pants were a little snug and stopped short about two inches from the top of her feet. She was like staring at me, but didn’t speak.“Is something wrong?” I asked. “No, not a thing, except for those Jarhead sweats you have on.”“What? You don’t like Marines?” She laughed and said, “They are okay, but to a Navy gal, they don’t get my motor running”“Oh shit. I helped a god damn Squid? Christ sakes”, then laughed, and so did she. “Come on, let’s eat”I asked her what she would like to drink, which was limited to beer or water. She chose a water, as I did too, and sat down to our little feast.Chapter 4.She was quiet at first, so I broke the silence and asked her “So Miss Carrie, and I presume Miss, what has you up here by yourself?”She chuckled then spoke “ I love hiking and always wanted to come explore these mountains. And Yes, I am a miss. Divorced actually, 5 years now. I have a 20 year daughter too, who attends Syracuse University.“Good God” I interjected; “How the hell did you ly you way into the navy as a 10 year old? You can't be past your early thirties!”I spent 14 years in the Navy. I was also a Navy brat too. My dad and mom live in Pensacola, after he retired from the Navy as a Master Chief. I left the Navy 7 years ago, but that’s another story.”She took a drink of water, then continued. “ I live right outside of Syracuse now, mostly to be close to my daughter. We adopted her when she was 3 years old. I couldn’t have kids, and she was orphaned when her parents were killed in an auto accident in Norfolk. What about you Mr. Mark?”I smiled at her and looked her right in the eye, which were hazel in color. “Let’s see, I spent 20 good years in the Navy, and then retired from it. I did pick up a good vocation, programming computers, so that’s what I do now. Mostly free-lance myself out. I make a good wage doing it. My uncle owns this cabin and I needed a vacation, so I too, wanted to explore here. I took the next two weeks off and hope to finish up on Mt. Marcy. I grew up just east of Syracuse and moved back there. Both of my parents are deceased now, and I have one sister, who is two years older than me”She then asked, “What did you end up at?”“An E8, Master Sergeant,” I answered. “and you?”She chuckled and said, “E8 as well, Senior Chief. How many deployments?”“3 tours in the sandpit, then countless boat rides. Served on the George Washington and the Lincoln, and ended my career at Quantico.”“Oh shit. My dad served on the Lincoln too, John Reynolds. Master Chief of the Boat.”I laughed and said, “I know your old man. I served with him on the Lincoln for 6 months. At the time I was a E6 (Staff Sergeant), but I got to know him well. I even got to meet your mom too, when we got done at Norfolk. Beautiful lady and not being forward, I can see where you get your looks. Your old man had a way with the crew. They all respected him and did anything he told them to do. I can still remember his one saying, "Son. Don’t fail me, or I will open a can of whoop ass on you.” Usually scared the shit out of some teenage kid”She laughed and said, “Yeah, he did have their respect, but at home he was a teddy bear, at least to me and mom. I remember in high school, any boy I would date, he would just stare at them, which usually scared the shit out of them”We laughed and told stories about our time in the service. Then I did the dishes up while I had her go relax on the couch. When I finished, I asked if she would like a beer now, which she gladly accepted. Before I came out with the beers, I wrote down my name, address and phone number, and handed it to her.“What’s this for?” I told her, “Look. You were injured and I would like you to call your family and tell them and that you will be staying here tonight. Plus give you peace of mind that you are not bunking with some crazy guy in the woods. So let them know that info, and all should be good.”She chuckled then said, “Well, for one. all of you jarheads are crazy, so I am not too sure how safe I am with you, but so far, you haven’t shown any craziness. But I will call my daughter and let her know.”She then called her daughter and explained the situation to her. They chatted for about 10 minutes or so. Her daughter must have asked her if I was cute, because she softly spoke, “yeah. pretty cute” After that she hung up her phone and sat back on the couch.“I want to thank you again for saving me from a very bad situation. I know I have to be a pain in the ass to you, and you weren’t planning on someone screwing up your vacation like this.” Carrie said.“Number one, you are not a pain in the ass at all, and two, you haven’t screwed anything up. I rather enjoy your company, if I am being honest here. Granted, I came up here alone, but now I have made a friend, or at least, an acquaintance, and if I may add a very beautiful one at that..Carrie blushed, "Thank you. I mean for a Gyrene, you are pretty nice, and a bonus, you can cook too. How come some pretty woman hasn’t snatched you up?”I just chuckled at that, “Well, you know how it is in the service. Always deployed to some ungodly place, or never being able to put roots down in one place. That’s not fair to anyone. Plus, there has been no one who really rocked my world. The closest I came was living with this one girl for like 6 months, but she opted out after seeing me off to Iraq, and just couldn’t handle the unknown. When I got back 8 months later, she was long gone. Never heard a word from her either, except for the letter she left behind. So from that point on, I just dated here and there, nothing steady. And now, I haven’t really looked. You say you are divorced, what happened there, if you don’t mind telling.”She smiled, and when she did, her whole face smiled. Her almond shaped eyes were to die for. A man could get lost in those eyes. I know I was. I also wondered if she had a special man in her life. If so, he was a complete idiot for letting her go on this by herself. Not to keep her safe, or anything like that, but just to be with her.“We met at Pensacola when I was just 2 years into my first term. He was a Seal. So of course he hung the moon and stars. But growing up Navy, I knew what this entailed. We had a great marriage, at least I thought we did. Only when he got deployed, did I get scared. You know how it is with them, they are not going to some amusement park. When he got transferred to a base, I got one too, since I worked in procurement and distribution, it was no big deal.”She took a swig of her beer and breathed out, then continued. “We tried having kids, but I came to find out that my tubes were closed and I couldn’t have any. So we started looking at adoption and then about a year later we were informed about Jenny. Her parents killed in an auto accident and she had no living relatives. We took her in as a foster child and then about a year after, we adopted her. Things were going good for us. We both got transferred to Norfolk, and luckily, Dad was stationed there too, but as

A Hiking Accident brings Mark and Carrie Together.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Mark and Carrie never met before, until an accident to Carrie, brought them together, and now maybe for good.Chapter 1.I’m Mark. 39 years old, single, a computer geek who is lucky enough that I can work from home, and make my own hours. I wasn’t always like this. When I was 18, I had a choice, jail or join the service. I just made some bad decisions back then, doing drugs and getting in fights. So I opted for the Marines. I spent 15 years with them, and advanced to Master Sergeant, which is the fourth highest position an NCO can go. Served 3 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are true shit holes. Great thing about the service, besides 3 square meals a day and a place to sleep, you can be taught almost any useful job in the world, which is where I learned computer programing.Now I pretty much free-lance my abilities out and make a good wage. Most times I have jobs to do, but sometimes I don’t and have lots of free time. If I do have jobs, I can make my own hours.I don’t have a steady woman at this time, and I am  okay with that. Being deployed all the time, whether it was in the Middle East, or on some ship with a bunch of Squids, I really had no time for a relationship.I had been out almost a year this past August, when I decided I needed some down time. I decided I was going to the Adirondacks and do some hiking. I grew up outside of Syracuse NY., and have always wanted to go there. My one uncle owns a cabin up there and offered it to me when he heard I wanted to go hiking up there. He told me it had one bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, and a living room with fireplace. It had running water and electricity. He warned me that I would need to turn on the hot water tank, since they shut it down last fall, after they used it last.I had decided that I would take two weeks to explore all the different mountain ranges this area had, finishing up at Mt. Marcy, the highest of them all. Since it was just after Labor Day, tourism should be at a low, with vacationers and school kids back into their routines. My plan was to hike daily, a different range, and if need be, camp out at night. Being a Marine, we are taught all types of survival skills, so this would be no problem for me. One thing my uncle did ask me to do, is stop at the Ranger station and let them know I would be occupying the cabin for a length of time. People sometimes like to use squatter rights and just use cabins, regardless if they are allowed, or not.I also like that the temperature doesn’t get to warm up there either. I prefer cool nights and just warm days. Maybe it’s because of my time in that hell hole of the middle east. My trip took almost 4 hours to get to where I wanted to go.Chapter 2.The skies were quite cloudy when I pulled into the Ranger Station. I got out of my truck and headed to the stations door, and when I opened it, a woman was coming out at the same time and we bumped into each other. We both apologized, then laughed, and then she continued on to her vehicle.After letting a ranger know where I was going and for how long, I exited the station and headed back to my truck. That’s when I noticed her again. She was 5 ‘7, maybe 130 lbs., caramel colored skin, hair just past her shoulders, when she let it down. From the side, she did not look like she had very big boobs, they were smallish medium, just the way I actually like them. She was wearing camo style shorts, and a tan polo shirt. Boy, she had nice legs, long and muscular, very toned. If I had to guess her age, early 30’s. Whoever was getting lucky with that, was one lucky son of a bitch. One thing I did notice, she was wearing white running shoes, and not hiking boots. Judging from the backpack she was attempting to put on, she was going hiking and camping out. Running shoes are not the smartest thing to wear hiking. No ankle support what so ever.As I drove off, I stole another look at her, as I drove by. Great looking ass. Bigger than a model would have, but smaller than many of the women I have seen in my lifetime. I exited the parking lot and started heading up Whiteface Mountain. My uncle’s cabin is up about 4 miles from this point, on a long and windy road. If I had to guess, it would be about a third of the way up the mountain, and only because of the road, which I believed was cut out by a snake.Once I arrived, I unloaded everything into the cabin. Found the circuit breaker and turned them on, especially the hot water tank. Too many cold showers in my life, so no need to suffer this time now. One thing I did notice too, the temp was cooler up this high. It was around 70 down by the station, but I bet it dropped a good 10 degrees.Next, I unload my coolers, which had meats and eggs, butter, and all of the necessities needed to eat well. I had enough for 2 weeks, if not more. Also brought along two 12 packs of beer as well, and water. Man I love roughing it.After stowing away my gear and food, I checked the place out. Nice queen size bed, in the bedroom. They even had TV, which I could care less about. May to use for the weather is all I can see a use for it. I’m not one to sit and watch TV much, except for football and maybe playoff baseball.I then went and checked the area out. The back porch had a gas grill on it, plus what looked like a cord of wood. I figured if I used any, I could go into town and buy some to replenish, unless Unc had a chain saw, then I would do my own. I then went for a small hike just around the area.I did not want to venture to far today. It was already after 4pm, and the skies were really getting dark, so some rain, if not storms, were moving in soon. About a ¼ mile into the woods, was a hiking trail, well used too. I wondered if that lady was on this trail, if she even made up this far yet. If she did, she better start preparing her campsite for the weather that was due in soon. I kept hiking for another 30 minutes before heading back to the cabin. I figured a good early start in the morning, may get me to the top by the afternoon, early evening.Chapter 3.I was now back from my little hike and relaxing, but also getting hungry. I settled on frying up some home fries and grill up some Polish kielbasa. I cooked up the potatoes first, and then set the pan in the oven and set it to warm. Then took the meat out to the porch and fired up the grill.It was a little after 6 now and the wind had really picked up and the skies hung low, full of rain that to start shortly. As I waited for the grill to heat up some, I thought I heard someone cry out. At first I thought it could be just the wind, but then I heard it again.I stepped off the porch and headed towards the trail, behind the cabin. As I got on the trail, I heard the cry again, but this time could make out the word Help. I yelled out for the person to keep yelling, so I could judge where it was actually coming from.Whoever it was, must have heard me because the Helps were coming more quickly. I was at least a good half mile now from the cabin when I came upon a woman, lying on the ground, holding her foot. It was the lady I saw down by the ranger station when I first arrived.When she saw me coming she said, “Oh Thank God. I wasn’t sure anyone could hear me.”“What happened?” I asked. “Oh stupid me wasn’t watching where I stepped and then all of a sudden, I’m on the ground from twisting my ankle.” she explained, then went on,“I tried walking on it, but damn, it hurts. I don’t think it is broken.” I kneeled in front of her and took off her shoe, then her wool sock, and could see the ankle was swollen and just starting to turn a little purplish. I’m no doctor, nor was I corpsman in the service, but I have had my share, and have seen many a sprained ankle, and this sure did look like one.After looking at it, I looked up at her face and could see the pain written all over her gorgeous face. I then gently removed her backpack, which had to weigh a good 25 to 30 pounds. “Christ, what the hell is she carrying in this.”, I thought. Then I put the backpack on over my shoulders. Just then, the rain started. “Great, just what I needed”, I thought.“Oh damn. This isn’t good. What are we going to do now?” she asked.“First off, grab my arm and let’s get you up, then we’ll hike back down to my cabin, which I think is about a ½ mile from here.” I said. “By the way, my name is Mark” She retorted back to me “Carolyn, or Carrie to my friends, which you are fast becoming.”With my help, she stood up, using her good leg. Now I am not a tall man, 5’ 10 175 lbs., and still in great shape, since I work out 4 times a week. I then asked her to put her right arm around my neck and I would hold her waist, and we would try and keep all the weight off of the foot.We did quite well actually, and she didn’t complain one time. Only twice did we have to stop and rest a minute. That didn’t matter, we were both soaked to our skin by now, and it was quite chilly out. What should have taken maybe 5 minutes to walk, turned into almost 25 minutes, by the time we got back to the porch of the cabin. At one point, I felt I should have just carried her fireman’s style, just to speed this up.We then entered the cabin. Luckily it was still pretty warm in there, but I knew that wouldn’t last long. I guided her over to a leather chair and had her sit. Then went and got some towels to at least dry off some of the rain.I then went into the bathroom and saw that my uncle had 2 inch wide medical tape and some gauze. I went into my pack and pulled out some Aleve. I came back out, got some water and then handed her the medicine. Then I knelt down and removed her shoe again, sans the sock, since we didn’t put that back on. I carefully dried her foot and ankle, and then wrapped gauze around it, then taped it up.After I finished, I could see she was shaking from being cold now. Both of us were soaked to the skin. I went into my uncles dresser and looked around. My aunt had a set sweats in there. I hope they fit her. My aunt is only 5'4, but is big chested, so the top should be fine. I also pulled out some socks for her as well. I then looked in the closet, and in the back, found a pair of crutches. Uncle’s family comes up here a lot to ski, so crutches would be a wise investment, especially for my one cousin Carol, she is a klutz.I came back into the living room and looked down at her. “ How does that feel now Carrie”“Still hurts, but not like it was, and thank you.” she said. I extended a hand to her and told her to grab it, then pulled her up. “I got you some clothes to change into, and these crutches. The shower is down the hall. A good hot shower should help you warm up a bit . Also, take this baggie and wrap it around your foot and ankle and tape off the top, to keep it dry.”“Oh My God, you are so nice. I am so sorry for being a pain in your ass, but thank you so much.”She trudged down the hall to the bath. I couldn’t help but look at her great legs and chubby ass as she went. I did notice she wore no wedding, or engagement ring, so that was a good thing. Just before she opened the bathroom door, I told her I was going to finish making dinner. She just grinned, but said nothing. Before I did that though, I pulled out some sweats. Both the top and the bottoms had the Marine logo on it. Those sweats last forever.I had to reheat the fried potatoes and then went and relit the grill. The kielbasa was done in about 10 minutes. So when I came back in, she was still not out of the shower. “Women”, I thought. They take so friggin long to get clean. Although I did have some thoughts about how she looked in the shower.I had just finished setting the table, when she arrived back out in the living room. The sweat top was definitely too big for her, yet looked cute. The sweat pants were a little snug and stopped short about two inches from the top of her feet. She was like staring at me, but didn’t speak.“Is something wrong?” I asked. “No, not a thing, except for those Jarhead sweats you have on.”“What? You don’t like Marines?” She laughed and said, “They are okay, but to a Navy gal, they don’t get my motor running”“Oh shit. I helped a god damn Squid? Christ sakes”, then laughed, and so did she. “Come on, let’s eat”I asked her what she would like to drink, which was limited to beer or water. She chose a water, as I did too, and sat down to our little feast.Chapter 4.She was quiet at first, so I broke the silence and asked her “So Miss Carrie, and I presume Miss, what has you up here by yourself?”She chuckled then spoke “ I love hiking and always wanted to come explore these mountains. And Yes, I am a miss. Divorced actually, 5 years now. I have a 20 year daughter too, who attends Syracuse University.“Good God” I interjected; “How the hell did you ly you way into the navy as a 10 year old? You can't be past your early thirties!”I spent 14 years in the Navy. I was also a Navy brat too. My dad and mom live in Pensacola, after he retired from the Navy as a Master Chief. I left the Navy 7 years ago, but that’s another story.”She took a drink of water, then continued. “ I live right outside of Syracuse now, mostly to be close to my daughter. We adopted her when she was 3 years old. I couldn’t have kids, and she was orphaned when her parents were killed in an auto accident in Norfolk. What about you Mr. Mark?”I smiled at her and looked her right in the eye, which were hazel in color. “Let’s see, I spent 20 good years in the Navy, and then retired from it. I did pick up a good vocation, programming computers, so that’s what I do now. Mostly free-lance myself out. I make a good wage doing it. My uncle owns this cabin and I needed a vacation, so I too, wanted to explore here. I took the next two weeks off and hope to finish up on Mt. Marcy. I grew up just east of Syracuse and moved back there. Both of my parents are deceased now, and I have one sister, who is two years older than me”She then asked, “What did you end up at?”“An E8, Master Sergeant,” I answered. “and you?”She chuckled and said, “E8 as well, Senior Chief. How many deployments?”“3 tours in the sandpit, then countless boat rides. Served on the George Washington and the Lincoln, and ended my career at Quantico.”“Oh shit. My dad served on the Lincoln too, John Reynolds. Master Chief of the Boat.”I laughed and said, “I know your old man. I served with him on the Lincoln for 6 months. At the time I was a E6 (Staff Sergeant), but I got to know him well. I even got to meet your mom too, when we got done at Norfolk. Beautiful lady and not being forward, I can see where you get your looks. Your old man had a way with the crew. They all respected him and did anything he told them to do. I can still remember his one saying, "Son. Don’t fail me, or I will open a can of whoop ass on you.” Usually scared the shit out of some teenage kid”She laughed and said, “Yeah, he did have their respect, but at home he was a teddy bear, at least to me and mom. I remember in high school, any boy I would date, he would just stare at them, which usually scared the shit out of them”We laughed and told stories about our time in the service. Then I did the dishes up while I had her go relax on the couch. When I finished, I asked if she would like a beer now, which she gladly accepted. Before I came out with the beers, I wrote down my name, address and phone number, and handed it to her.“What’s this for?” I told her, “Look. You were injured and I would like you to call your family and tell them and that you will be staying here tonight. Plus give you peace of mind that you are not bunking with some crazy guy in the woods. So let them know that info, and all should be good.”She chuckled then said, “Well, for one. all of you jarheads are crazy, so I am not too sure how safe I am with you, but so far, you haven’t shown any craziness. But I will call my daughter and let her know.”She then called her daughter and explained the situation to her. They chatted for about 10 minutes or so. Her daughter must have asked her if I was cute, because she softly spoke, “yeah. pretty cute” After that she hung up her phone and sat back on the couch.“I want to thank you again for saving me from a very bad situation. I know I have to be a pain in the ass to you, and you weren’t planning on someone screwing up your vacation like this.” Carrie said.“Number one, you are not a pain in the ass at all, and two, you haven’t screwed anything up. I rather enjoy your company, if I am being honest here. Granted, I came up here alone, but now I have made a friend, or at least, an acquaintance, and if I may add a very beautiful one at that..Carrie blushed, "Thank you. I mean for a Gyrene, you are pretty nice, and a bonus, you can cook too. How come some pretty woman hasn’t snatched you up?”I just chuckled at that, “Well, you know how it is in the service. Always deployed to some ungodly place, or never being able to put roots down in one place. That’s not fair to anyone. Plus, there has been no one who really rocked my world. The closest I came was living with this one girl for like 6 months, but she opted out after seeing me off to Iraq, and just couldn’t handle the unknown. When I got back 8 months later, she was long gone. Never heard a word from her either, except for the letter she left behind. So from that point on, I just dated here and there, nothing steady. And now, I haven’t really looked. You say you are divorced, what happened there, if you don’t mind telling.”She smiled, and when she did, her whole face smiled. Her almond shaped eyes were to die for. A man could get lost in those eyes. I know I was. I also wondered if she had a special man in her life. If so, he was a complete idiot for letting her go on this by herself. Not to keep her safe, or anything like that, but just to be with her.“We met at Pensacola when I was just 2 years into my first term. He was a Seal. So of course he hung the moon and stars. But growing up Navy, I knew what this entailed. We had a great marriage, at least I thought we did. Only when he got deployed, did I get scared. You know how it is with them, they are not going to some amusement park. When he got transferred to a base, I got one too, since I worked in procurement and distribution, it was no big deal.”She took a swig of her beer and breathed out, then continued. “We tried having kids, but I came to find out that my tubes were closed and I couldn’t have any. So we started looking at adoption and then about a year later we were informed about Jenny. Her parents killed in an auto accident and she had no living relatives. We took her in as a foster child and then about a year after, we adopted her. Things were going good for us. We both got transferred to Norfolk, and luckily, Dad was stationed there too, but as

A Hiking Accident brings Mark and Carrie Together.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Mark and Carrie never met before, until an accident to Carrie, brought them together, and now maybe for good.Chapter 1.I’m Mark. 39 years old, single, a computer geek who is lucky enough that I can work from home, and make my own hours. I wasn’t always like this. When I was 18, I had a choice, jail or join the service. I just made some bad decisions back then, doing drugs and getting in fights. So I opted for the Marines. I spent 15 years with them, and advanced to Master Sergeant, which is the fourth highest position an NCO can go. Served 3 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are true shit holes. Great thing about the service, besides 3 square meals a day and a place to sleep, you can be taught almost any useful job in the world, which is where I learned computer programing.Now I pretty much free-lance my abilities out and make a good wage. Most times I have jobs to do, but sometimes I don’t and have lots of free time. If I do have jobs, I can make my own hours.I don’t have a steady woman at this time, and I am  okay with that. Being deployed all the time, whether it was in the Middle East, or on some ship with a bunch of Squids, I really had no time for a relationship.I had been out almost a year this past August, when I decided I needed some down time. I decided I was going to the Adirondacks and do some hiking. I grew up outside of Syracuse NY., and have always wanted to go there. My one uncle owns a cabin up there and offered it to me when he heard I wanted to go hiking up there. He told me it had one bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, and a living room with fireplace. It had running water and electricity. He warned me that I would need to turn on the hot water tank, since they shut it down last fall, after they used it last.I had decided that I would take two weeks to explore all the different mountain ranges this area had, finishing up at Mt. Marcy, the highest of them all. Since it was just after Labor Day, tourism should be at a low, with vacationers and school kids back into their routines. My plan was to hike daily, a different range, and if need be, camp out at night. Being a Marine, we are taught all types of survival skills, so this would be no problem for me. One thing my uncle did ask me to do, is stop at the Ranger station and let them know I would be occupying the cabin for a length of time. People sometimes like to use squatter rights and just use cabins, regardless if they are allowed, or not.I also like that the temperature doesn’t get to warm up there either. I prefer cool nights and just warm days. Maybe it’s because of my time in that hell hole of the middle east. My trip took almost 4 hours to get to where I wanted to go.Chapter 2.The skies were quite cloudy when I pulled into the Ranger Station. I got out of my truck and headed to the stations door, and when I opened it, a woman was coming out at the same time and we bumped into each other. We both apologized, then laughed, and then she continued on to her vehicle.After letting a ranger know where I was going and for how long, I exited the station and headed back to my truck. That’s when I noticed her again. She was 5 ‘7, maybe 130 lbs., caramel colored skin, hair just past her shoulders, when she let it down. From the side, she did not look like she had very big boobs, they were smallish medium, just the way I actually like them. She was wearing camo style shorts, and a tan polo shirt. Boy, she had nice legs, long and muscular, very toned. If I had to guess her age, early 30’s. Whoever was getting lucky with that, was one lucky son of a bitch. One thing I did notice, she was wearing white running shoes, and not hiking boots. Judging from the backpack she was attempting to put on, she was going hiking and camping out. Running shoes are not the smartest thing to wear hiking. No ankle support what so ever.As I drove off, I stole another look at her, as I drove by. Great looking ass. Bigger than a model would have, but smaller than many of the women I have seen in my lifetime. I exited the parking lot and started heading up Whiteface Mountain. My uncle’s cabin is up about 4 miles from this point, on a long and windy road. If I had to guess, it would be about a third of the way up the mountain, and only because of the road, which I believed was cut out by a snake.Once I arrived, I unloaded everything into the cabin. Found the circuit breaker and turned them on, especially the hot water tank. Too many cold showers in my life, so no need to suffer this time now. One thing I did notice too, the temp was cooler up this high. It was around 70 down by the station, but I bet it dropped a good 10 degrees.Next, I unload my coolers, which had meats and eggs, butter, and all of the necessities needed to eat well. I had enough for 2 weeks, if not more. Also brought along two 12 packs of beer as well, and water. Man I love roughing it.After stowing away my gear and food, I checked the place out. Nice queen size bed, in the bedroom. They even had TV, which I could care less about. May to use for the weather is all I can see a use for it. I’m not one to sit and watch TV much, except for football and maybe playoff baseball.I then went and checked the area out. The back porch had a gas grill on it, plus what looked like a cord of wood. I figured if I used any, I could go into town and buy some to replenish, unless Unc had a chain saw, then I would do my own. I then went for a small hike just around the area.I did not want to venture to far today. It was already after 4pm, and the skies were really getting dark, so some rain, if not storms, were moving in soon. About a ¼ mile into the woods, was a hiking trail, well used too. I wondered if that lady was on this trail, if she even made up this far yet. If she did, she better start preparing her campsite for the weather that was due in soon. I kept hiking for another 30 minutes before heading back to the cabin. I figured a good early start in the morning, may get me to the top by the afternoon, early evening.Chapter 3.I was now back from my little hike and relaxing, but also getting hungry. I settled on frying up some home fries and grill up some Polish kielbasa. I cooked up the potatoes first, and then set the pan in the oven and set it to warm. Then took the meat out to the porch and fired up the grill.It was a little after 6 now and the wind had really picked up and the skies hung low, full of rain that to start shortly. As I waited for the grill to heat up some, I thought I heard someone cry out. At first I thought it could be just the wind, but then I heard it again.I stepped off the porch and headed towards the trail, behind the cabin. As I got on the trail, I heard the cry again, but this time could make out the word Help. I yelled out for the person to keep yelling, so I could judge where it was actually coming from.Whoever it was, must have heard me because the Helps were coming more quickly. I was at least a good half mile now from the cabin when I came upon a woman, lying on the ground, holding her foot. It was the lady I saw down by the ranger station when I first arrived.When she saw me coming she said, “Oh Thank God. I wasn’t sure anyone could hear me.”“What happened?” I asked. “Oh stupid me wasn’t watching where I stepped and then all of a sudden, I’m on the ground from twisting my ankle.” she explained, then went on,“I tried walking on it, but damn, it hurts. I don’t think it is broken.” I kneeled in front of her and took off her shoe, then her wool sock, and could see the ankle was swollen and just starting to turn a little purplish. I’m no doctor, nor was I corpsman in the service, but I have had my share, and have seen many a sprained ankle, and this sure did look like one.After looking at it, I looked up at her face and could see the pain written all over her gorgeous face. I then gently removed her backpack, which had to weigh a good 25 to 30 pounds. “Christ, what the hell is she carrying in this.”, I thought. Then I put the backpack on over my shoulders. Just then, the rain started. “Great, just what I needed”, I thought.“Oh damn. This isn’t good. What are we going to do now?” she asked.“First off, grab my arm and let’s get you up, then we’ll hike back down to my cabin, which I think is about a ½ mile from here.” I said. “By the way, my name is Mark” She retorted back to me “Carolyn, or Carrie to my friends, which you are fast becoming.”With my help, she stood up, using her good leg. Now I am not a tall man, 5’ 10 175 lbs., and still in great shape, since I work out 4 times a week. I then asked her to put her right arm around my neck and I would hold her waist, and we would try and keep all the weight off of the foot.We did quite well actually, and she didn’t complain one time. Only twice did we have to stop and rest a minute. That didn’t matter, we were both soaked to our skin by now, and it was quite chilly out. What should have taken maybe 5 minutes to walk, turned into almost 25 minutes, by the time we got back to the porch of the cabin. At one point, I felt I should have just carried her fireman’s style, just to speed this up.We then entered the cabin. Luckily it was still pretty warm in there, but I knew that wouldn’t last long. I guided her over to a leather chair and had her sit. Then went and got some towels to at least dry off some of the rain.I then went into the bathroom and saw that my uncle had 2 inch wide medical tape and some gauze. I went into my pack and pulled out some Aleve. I came back out, got some water and then handed her the medicine. Then I knelt down and removed her shoe again, sans the sock, since we didn’t put that back on. I carefully dried her foot and ankle, and then wrapped gauze around it, then taped it up.After I finished, I could see she was shaking from being cold now. Both of us were soaked to the skin. I went into my uncles dresser and looked around. My aunt had a set sweats in there. I hope they fit her. My aunt is only 5'4, but is big chested, so the top should be fine. I also pulled out some socks for her as well. I then looked in the closet, and in the back, found a pair of crutches. Uncle’s family comes up here a lot to ski, so crutches would be a wise investment, especially for my one cousin Carol, she is a klutz.I came back into the living room and looked down at her. “ How does that feel now Carrie”“Still hurts, but not like it was, and thank you.” she said. I extended a hand to her and told her to grab it, then pulled her up. “I got you some clothes to change into, and these crutches. The shower is down the hall. A good hot shower should help you warm up a bit . Also, take this baggie and wrap it around your foot and ankle and tape off the top, to keep it dry.”“Oh My God, you are so nice. I am so sorry for being a pain in your ass, but thank you so much.”She trudged down the hall to the bath. I couldn’t help but look at her great legs and chubby ass as she went. I did notice she wore no wedding, or engagement ring, so that was a good thing. Just before she opened the bathroom door, I told her I was going to finish making dinner. She just grinned, but said nothing. Before I did that though, I pulled out some sweats. Both the top and the bottoms had the Marine logo on it. Those sweats last forever.I had to reheat the fried potatoes and then went and relit the grill. The kielbasa was done in about 10 minutes. So when I came back in, she was still not out of the shower. “Women”, I thought. They take so friggin long to get clean. Although I did have some thoughts about how she looked in the shower.I had just finished setting the table, when she arrived back out in the living room. The sweat top was definitely too big for her, yet looked cute. The sweat pants were a little snug and stopped short about two inches from the top of her feet. She was like staring at me, but didn’t speak.“Is something wrong?” I asked. “No, not a thing, except for those Jarhead sweats you have on.”“What? You don’t like Marines?” She laughed and said, “They are okay, but to a Navy gal, they don’t get my motor running”“Oh shit. I helped a god damn Squid? Christ sakes”, then laughed, and so did she. “Come on, let’s eat”I asked her what she would like to drink, which was limited to beer or water. She chose a water, as I did too, and sat down to our little feast.Chapter 4.She was quiet at first, so I broke the silence and asked her “So Miss Carrie, and I presume Miss, what has you up here by yourself?”She chuckled then spoke “ I love hiking and always wanted to come explore these mountains. And Yes, I am a miss. Divorced actually, 5 years now. I have a 20 year daughter too, who attends Syracuse University.“Good God” I interjected; “How the hell did you ly you way into the navy as a 10 year old? You can't be past your early thirties!”I spent 14 years in the Navy. I was also a Navy brat too. My dad and mom live in Pensacola, after he retired from the Navy as a Master Chief. I left the Navy 7 years ago, but that’s another story.”She took a drink of water, then continued. “ I live right outside of Syracuse now, mostly to be close to my daughter. We adopted her when she was 3 years old. I couldn’t have kids, and she was orphaned when her parents were killed in an auto accident in Norfolk. What about you Mr. Mark?”I smiled at her and looked her right in the eye, which were hazel in color. “Let’s see, I spent 20 good years in the Navy, and then retired from it. I did pick up a good vocation, programming computers, so that’s what I do now. Mostly free-lance myself out. I make a good wage doing it. My uncle owns this cabin and I needed a vacation, so I too, wanted to explore here. I took the next two weeks off and hope to finish up on Mt. Marcy. I grew up just east of Syracuse and moved back there. Both of my parents are deceased now, and I have one sister, who is two years older than me”She then asked, “What did you end up at?”“An E8, Master Sergeant,” I answered. “and you?”She chuckled and said, “E8 as well, Senior Chief. How many deployments?”“3 tours in the sandpit, then countless boat rides. Served on the George Washington and the Lincoln, and ended my career at Quantico.”“Oh shit. My dad served on the Lincoln too, John Reynolds. Master Chief of the Boat.”I laughed and said, “I know your old man. I served with him on the Lincoln for 6 months. At the time I was a E6 (Staff Sergeant), but I got to know him well. I even got to meet your mom too, when we got done at Norfolk. Beautiful lady and not being forward, I can see where you get your looks. Your old man had a way with the crew. They all respected him and did anything he told them to do. I can still remember his one saying, "Son. Don’t fail me, or I will open a can of whoop ass on you.” Usually scared the shit out of some teenage kid”She laughed and said, “Yeah, he did have their respect, but at home he was a teddy bear, at least to me and mom. I remember in high school, any boy I would date, he would just stare at them, which usually scared the shit out of them”We laughed and told stories about our time in the service. Then I did the dishes up while I had her go relax on the couch. When I finished, I asked if she would like a beer now, which she gladly accepted. Before I came out with the beers, I wrote down my name, address and phone number, and handed it to her.“What’s this for?” I told her, “Look. You were injured and I would like you to call your family and tell them and that you will be staying here tonight. Plus give you peace of mind that you are not bunking with some crazy guy in the woods. So let them know that info, and all should be good.”She chuckled then said, “Well, for one. all of you jarheads are crazy, so I am not too sure how safe I am with you, but so far, you haven’t shown any craziness. But I will call my daughter and let her know.”She then called her daughter and explained the situation to her. They chatted for about 10 minutes or so. Her daughter must have asked her if I was cute, because she softly spoke, “yeah. pretty cute” After that she hung up her phone and sat back on the couch.“I want to thank you again for saving me from a very bad situation. I know I have to be a pain in the ass to you, and you weren’t planning on someone screwing up your vacation like this.” Carrie said.“Number one, you are not a pain in the ass at all, and two, you haven’t screwed anything up. I rather enjoy your company, if I am being honest here. Granted, I came up here alone, but now I have made a friend, or at least, an acquaintance, and if I may add a very beautiful one at that..Carrie blushed, "Thank you. I mean for a Gyrene, you are pretty nice, and a bonus, you can cook too. How come some pretty woman hasn’t snatched you up?”I just chuckled at that, “Well, you know how it is in the service. Always deployed to some ungodly place, or never being able to put roots down in one place. That’s not fair to anyone. Plus, there has been no one who really rocked my world. The closest I came was living with this one girl for like 6 months, but she opted out after seeing me off to Iraq, and just couldn’t handle the unknown. When I got back 8 months later, she was long gone. Never heard a word from her either, except for the letter she left behind. So from that point on, I just dated here and there, nothing steady. And now, I haven’t really looked. You say you are divorced, what happened there, if you don’t mind telling.”She smiled, and when she did, her whole face smiled. Her almond shaped eyes were to die for. A man could get lost in those eyes. I know I was. I also wondered if she had a special man in her life. If so, he was a complete idiot for letting her go on this by herself. Not to keep her safe, or anything like that, but just to be with her.“We met at Pensacola when I was just 2 years into my first term. He was a Seal. So of course he hung the moon and stars. But growing up Navy, I knew what this entailed. We had a great marriage, at least I thought we did. Only when he got deployed, did I get scared. You know how it is with them, they are not going to some amusement park. When he got transferred to a base, I got one too, since I worked in procurement and distribution, it was no big deal.”She took a swig of her beer and breathed out, then continued. “We tried having kids, but I came to find out that my tubes were closed and I couldn’t have any. So we started looking at adoption and then about a year later we were informed about Jenny. Her parents killed in an auto accident and she had no living relatives. We took her in as a foster child and then about a year after, we adopted her. Things were going good for us. We both got transferred to Norfolk, and luckily, Dad was stationed there too, but as

Send us a Text Message.Welcome to Episode 25 of the Military to Civilian Career Transition Power Hour. Cheryl interviews four amazing guests who offer valuable insights into entrepreneurship, legal considerations, and career transitions:Kofi Douhadji - A First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and founder of Flying Wings, a hybrid publishing company. Kofi emphasizes that with the right tools and guidance, you can publish a book that stands shoulder to shoulder with those from traditional publishing houses. Learn more at flyingwings.llc.Gordon Firemark - An attorney specializing in new media, entertainment, and intellectual property law. Gordon shares the importance of a solid business structure, understanding IP rights, and monetization challenges. He encourages creators to "start ugly, start dirty, and polish things as you go," and believes "good contracts make better business partners." Learn more at firemark.com.Leah Stiles - A retired Senior Chief from the U.S. Navy and founder of Sea-Waves.org, a nonprofit supporting individuals with eating disorders. Leah discusses the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life and the importance of mentorship and support. "Life isn't meant to be experienced alone."Mark Harper - A former Air Force combat camera officer and Emmy-winning digital producer. Mark talks about his transition, networking, and his work with Recurrent Ventures and the Military Influencer Conference (MIC). He highlights the power of storytelling and owning your veteran status to bridge the gap between military and civilian worlds. Learn more about MIC at militaryinfluencer.com.Support the Show.X CHANGE Podcast Series will showcase future podcasts on exciting topics. You're listening to our inaugural series, The Military to Civilian Career Transition Power Hour; your boot camp for conquering civilian terrain. Join Us: Hear from those on the journey, those who've completed it, and those still transitioning. The civilian career landscape doesn't need to be a minefield. We provide support to keep you moving forward. Our Goal: Empower you with insights from 100 voices, across 25+ impactful episodes. With three guests and one expert per hour, you'll gain actionable guidance for your civilian career journey.Support our show with a subscription through BuzzSprout ($4 a month), you not only empower us, but you support reaching a new audience. For only $3.85 a month, you will be in a unique community of 'helpers' and 'learners' who are bringing these important voices to the podcast airwaves Like and Subscribe on YouTube (Videos): https://www.youtube.com/@XChangePodcastSeries Follow our Audio Only Podcast: https://mil2civ.buzzsprout.com/ Book: CIVILIAN MISSION #1 New Release on Amazon 5 Days After Launch: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN699ZLXWebsite: www.xchangepodcast.com Your next mission awaits!

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Tulsi Gabbard is trending again, the Key Bridge collapses in Baltimore after an early morning cargo vessel incident, and what is "Document 79" ? My friend and Suspendable George Hill joins me mid-program to get into some of the signal and the noise about the last 24 hours. George is an intel veteran of the USMC and US Navy, a former analyst for the NSA, and retired supervisor analyst from the FBI's Boston Field Office. He blew the whistle about numerous instances of malfeasance regarding January 6 investigative practices and is the Suspendables' in-house salty Senior Chief. Follow George @SeniorChiefEXW on X and @JarHeadGeorge on Truth Social. ____________________________________________________ Today's podcast supported by https://CatholicVote.Org (Get in The LOOP) Use PROMO CODE "KYLE" at these sites: https://contingencymedical.com/ (Emergency Antibiotic Kit!) https://4Patriots.com/KYLE (Survival foods) http://The-Suspendables.com (Show Merch) http://PatriotCoolers.com/ (Tumblers & Coolers) http://MyPillow.com/Kyle (Pillows/Towels/Bedding)

In this episode Bill talks with his old friend and shipmate, Senior Chief David Kallas.We talk about how graduating from Admiral King High School influenced his decision to join the Navy, the Great Lakes, the joy of coming to the Philadelphia Shipyards, never again volunteering yourself, flexing with the Seabees, and more funny stories from […] The post #280 Today's Boondoggle -the power of forgiveness with Senior Chief David Kallas first appeared on Domain Cleveland.

In this episode Bill talks with his old friend and shipmate, Senior Chief David Kallas.We talk about how graduating from Admiral King High School influenced his decision to join the Navy, the Great Lakes, the joy of coming to the Philadelphia Shipyards, never again volunteering yourself, flexing with the Seabees, and more funny stories from our time in ACU-2 and of course remembering our friend Tim Dailey.We also talk about the independent spirit, speaking out when needing to, canceling firefighters training, the tragic incident that his family endured when his father murdered his mother, still years later trying to find closure, the power of forgiveness, pouring into his Navy career, the fun that was harbor fests, plus so much more. Today's Boondoggle fans can receive 10% off their orders at dreemnutrition.com by using the promo code BOONDOG10 at checkout. Today's Boondoggle fans can receive 10% off their orders at TNT-Health.com by using the promo code BOONDOGGLE at checkout. So kick back with your headphones and cold one for this latest episode. Enjoy our additional segments featuring music from the Flo White Show and Stories from the VFW Hall. Please Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Please subscribe to our YouTube, Rumble, Odysee, Brighteon, and Bitchute channels, and hit the notification button. As well as seen on Wowza TV on Roku. Remember Boondoggle Listeners Matter, so e-mail us at todaysboondoggle@gmail.com and let us know your thoughts so we can read them on air. Tweet us@2daysBoondoggle and Follow us on Instagram@todaysboondoggle as well as on Facebook. Please subscribe and give 5 stars and review. Every review we receive on either Apple Podcast or Google Music we will mention you on a future episode and our Social Media pages. Follow Today's Boondoggle also on DomainCle.com and on Anchor.fm Today's Boondoggle logo designed by Stacy Candow. Additional music by Evan Crouse Also please consider financially supporting us at Todays Boondoggle using Venmo, our GoFundMe, or sponsoring us on our Anchor.fm page, so we can continue to provide you with quality entertainment. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/todaysboondoggle/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/todaysboondoggle/support

#DeclarationOfMilitaryAccountability #CovidCon #Treason Find Financial Freedom: DoneWithDebt.com 3-Month Emergency Food Kit. My Patriot Supply>>> PrepareWithBards.com BIRCH GOLD Infokit:  >>>Text BARDS to 989898 EMPShield protect your vehicles and home. Promo code BARDS: Click here Treadlite Broadforks...best garden tool EVER. Promo code BARDS: Click here MYPillow promo code: BARDS Go to https://www.mypillow.com/bards and use the promo code BARDS or... Call 1-800-975-2939.  Founders Bible 20% discount code: BARDS >>> https://thefoundersbible.com/#ordernow DONATE: https://bardsfm.com/donate/#donate-content   Address: Xpedition Cafe, LLC 780 NW Garden Valley Blvd. #64 Box 133 Roseburg, OR  97471

In this episode, Dean tells the story of when he met the First Lady of the United States (then the Second Lady), Dr. Jill Biden.

In this episode, we get into the military transition of Tami Thacker, a former Navy corpsman whose journey epitomizes the essence of service and resilience. Her story is a profound exploration, from a tumultuous childhood to becoming a trailblazer in the armed forces. Tami's early years were marked by hardship and instability. Despite these challenges, she found her calling in the Navy, a decision that set her on a path of remarkable achievements and personal growth. Tami's spent 12 years in the Navy and got out in 2011 as a Senior Chief. Her naval career is a narrative of breaking barriers. She distinguished herself as the first female corpsman assigned to the Marine Corps Basic Reconnaissance Course, a role that tested her mettle and underscored her commitment to serving alongside the best. Her experiences in the Navy not only shaped her as a service member but also prepared her for the challenges of transitioning back to civilian life. This transition, a journey familiar to many veterans, was a period of adaptation and self-discovery, highlighting the critical need for veteran assistance and support in adjusting to life after the military. Today, Tami is the Veterans Services Coordinator at the University of California – Riverside. She is passionately involved in helping other veterans navigate their post-military lives. Her work focuses on providing guidance in career planning for veterans, advocating for mental health resources, and aiding in adjusting to civilian life. Her dedication to veteran assistance is a testament to her enduring commitment to the veteran community, offering a beacon of hope and practical support to those embarking on their own transitions. SUBSCRIBE AND WATCH EPISODE ON YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TransitionDrillPodcast?sub_confirm=1 ALL LINKS FOR THE PODCAST https://linktr.ee/TransitionDrillPodcast CONNECT WITH TAMI: Email: tamara.thacker@ucr.edu

To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here: https://behindgreatness.org. As a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors.  Welcome back to Behind Greatness. Today we sit down with Kevin Day at his home in Oregon. Kevin is retired from the Navy where he held numerous positions over an 18 year span, including Air Intercept Control Supervisor, Anti-Air Warfare Coordinator and Strike Group Air Defense Subject Matter Expert. Kevin brings us through his first hand emotional account of the tragic day that Iran Air Flight 955 was shot down by missiles fired from his ship, the USS Vincennes in 1988. We learn that while that episode nearly broke him, he resolved to stay in the Navy and become the best he could be in that service. We hear about his extraordinary experience in November of 2004 aboard the US Princeton as Chief Radar Operator on the US West Coast and seeing 100s of “big white candy mints” (as named by his superior) darting through the skies over a span of several days. These are the “Tic Tacs” that are widely known today by the accounts of Commander David Fravor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s45xZAevb-w) – with videos released by the Pentagon. David Fravor was engaged with the Tic Tacs on the same training mission while Kevin was manning the radar system on the ship below. We hear about impossible speeds, a tear in the sky (!), the feeling of benevolence, receiving a cerebral upgrade, the sudden capacity for artistic endeavours. Kevin describes the safety of flight issues he tried to champion, the mockery he endured, the vindication and the sober reflection of a man who knows himself if the shoe were on the other foot. We hear about writing the facts hidden within a book he published, men in black, a strange encounter in the woods, his personal mission today, anger, judgement, time travel and the 5th fundamental force of nature. We recommend two past interesting episodes with military guests, Franc Milburn (ep160) and Ryan Graves (ep141) on like topics. Kevin, YT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXN7aXvZG44 Book – Sailor's Anthology – Library of Congress Control #: 2008903940

In this episode, we dig into ways schools can advance equity by expanding "whole child" services that are available to students at sites. Dr. Chaun Powell, Senior Chief of Student Services for the Alameda County Office of Education, helps identify key approaches for maximizing funding sources for these services -- with a particular focus on behavioral and mental health supports -- and seizing new opportunities to partner with other agencies that serve children. California is in the throes of rolling out major initiatives that create greater access for students to a range of vital services  to better support all areas of children's  development and learning, including the:California Community Schools Partnership ProgramCalifornia's Children and Youth Behavioral Health InitiativeExtended Learning Opportunities Program, andFamily First Prevention Services Act.These initiatives present a new era of possibility for school districts and county offices to blend and braid funding to increase and sustain services. Chaun leads us through this new landscape of programs and policies that promote interagency collaboration. With insight and curiosity, she helps to explore questions around innovative funding, strengthening collaboration across systems, and centering equity.Other ResourcesStatewide Multi-Payer School-Linked Fee Schedule overview video"Improving Student Wellness With A Multi-Tiered System of Support," WestEd AudioCast featuring Santa Clara COEAbout Our Guest Dr. Chaun Powell, Senior Chief of Student Services, Alameda COE, is  a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), school social worker, educational leader, writer and adjunct faculty member at San José State University & California State University East Bay.  Her unique background in education, community based work and child welfare helps her bring a cross systems lens and experience to serving children, youth and families in schools and the community.  Her work has included the development of policy and spearheading and implementing School Based Health & Wellness, Attendance and Behavior Response Initiatives at the school site, district, county and state levels. Prior to joining Alameda COE, she served as a site level Dean of Students, and as Executive Director, Youth Health & Wellness for Santa Clara COE, where she also led a statewide Professional Learning Network for educators on school-based billing.  About our hostJason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districtsAbout our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. 

Jace Wheeler is a retired Senior Chief turned entrepreneur, having started two businesses since his retirement. His most recent Maximum Effort Coffee Company, gives back to the American Cancer Society with every purchase. https://www.maximumeffortcoffee.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bzpod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bzpod/support

dgutspodcast.com dgutsapparel.com https://soundcloud.com/usailorwillis/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/dgutspodcast Facebook: Don't Give Up The Ship Podcast / Apparel Instagram: @dgutspodcast / @dgutsapparel Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DontGiveUpTheShipPodcast Email: dontgiveuptheshippodcast@gmail.com Store: dgutspodcast.com/shop Substack: https://dguts.substack.com Reddit: r/dgutspodcast u/dgutspodcast Discord: @dgutspodcast Weekly podcast for the professional and leadership development of junior enlisted Sailors and military members. Episode 123 – Ask the Chief, Rev 10 DGUTS and Chief Bob join forces again for another discussion about, well, everything. They discuss the Senior Enlisted Marketplace, whether or not Bob will ever make Senior Chief, and much more. #askthechief Contact us! (dontgiveuptheshippodcast@gmail.com) DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by the speakers and all guests are not those of the Department of Defense, United States Navy or any other government agency. They are strictly those of the speakers who do not speak for any other organization or entity. DISCLAIMER: The speaker (DGUTS) is NOT a mental health professional and does not intend any of the content of this podcast as mental health advice. If you need professional mental health advice, please seek out your closest military or civilian mental health providers immediately.

In this episode of the "Coast To Coasties" Podcast, I sit down with Senior Chief Thompson who is a Coast Guard Reservist on Active Duty Orders with the Portland Maine recruiting office. We discuss everything going into being a reservist in the Coast Guard including all the benefits and opportunities reservists can take advantage of and how they can balance their Coast Guard time with their civilian career time no matter what field your civilian career is in. The process of going through your career as a reservist is very different from active duty and that is why it is great to have Senior Chief come on and tell how his career as a Marine Science Technician has differed from what an active duty career would look like, and how serving in the Coast Guard and a member of the local Fire Department has benefited the integration of both careers with the transferable knowledge and resources the reserves has provided him. For anyone interested in joining the Coast Guard Reserve or going from Active to Reserve, tune into this episode to get all the information from Senior Chief Thompson!

Damo opens this episode addressing his recent issues with trying to get his Periodic Health Assessment (PHA) completed. Damon's #DoBetter shines a light on the lack of the “teamwork” aspect that he's witnessed during his recent ship visits. The guys discuss the importance of choosing the right mentor as opposed to finding someone that agrees with everything that you say. What are the pros and cons to choosing a mentor that's in the same division as you? The guys play catch up, discussing Damon's schedule as an assessor and Damo's “Retirement Ceremony Uniform Mix Up.” Do you know how many ribbons you should have on your ribbon rack? If so, how do you know? Damo asks Damon a few “Integrity Questions.” Question No. 1: Have you ever ducked out of colors? Question No.2: Do you have any qualifications that you know you didn't earn? The conversation leads Damo to reflect on the time he earned his Letter of Instruction (LOI). Congratulations to all our Reservist that made Senior Chief and Master Chief! Have you ever heard of a Spiritual/Non-Religious Chaplin? The guys haven't either; they discuss. A former Navy Officer who was executed for the murder a junior Sailor will have his remains removed from Arlington National Cemetery. Our “Heroes” for this week is a Navy Search and Rescue team who that saved a snowmobiler in Washington. How do you prioritize? Damo discusses his theory about conversations. These topics and more are covered in this episode. Remember to follow the ‘Permission to Speak Freely' podcast on TikTok, Facebook, Discord, Instagram, Twitter, and subscribe on YouTube.   Links and more from this episode:   FY24 Navy Reserve E8 and E9 Advancement Selection Boards - https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/NAVADMIN/NAV2023/NAV23085.txt?ver=DQa9IaaQ4edUDtdzy-8NfA%3d%3d   Sailor's Killer To Be Removed from Arlington - https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/04/12/sailors-killer-to-be-removed-from-arlington-thanks-to-new-law/   Hero of the Week: Search and Rescue Team saves Snowmobiler - https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/04/07/navy-search-and-rescue-team-saves-snowmobiler-in-washington/   Book of the Week: I Don't Want to Talk About It (Terrence Real) - https://terryreal.com/product/i-dont-want-to-talk-about-it/   Keep up with the ‘Permission to Speak Freely' podcast on our social media and Youtube - https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast   Additional Credits: PTSF “Theme Music” - Produced by Lim0

To Scrub...Or Not To Scrub...In this episode of the "Coast To Coasties" podcast I sit down with MST-A School, school house chief Senior Chief Kristin Gray and School Instructor MST1 Lewis Register as we cover a high demand topic the listeners have been asking for. The work life of a Marine Science Technician in the Coast Guard. This rate is one of the most encompassing rates with a dual purpose of prevention and response. We discuss the varies jobs you will work in as an MST if you are interested in the rate as well as career advice and opportunities that can come about by taking advantage of all the potential the rate has to offer. In addition we cover how well sought after MSTs become after transitioning from Coast Guard to the Civilian world. This episode features 2 of the best Marine Science Technicians in the Coast Guard so if you have any interest or curiosity in the rate, this is an episode you have to tune in for!

From fighter jets to JDM icons. In this episode of Tuned In, we speak to Josh Ray of Driver Motorsports, who left a 20-year-long career in the US Navy as a fighter jet technician to follow his passion, pouring all that military experience, attention to detail, and knowledge into a new career building and tuning the ultimate Japanese legends for a living.Use ‘PODCAST75' for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inJosh Ray always wanted to build and tune cars, but after leaving school at 17, he couldn't afford to pay for the education or equipment to make that dream a reality. Do you know who'd gladly pay for it though? The US military. Josh joined the Navy and worked his way up to Senior Chief, responsible for the maintenance and repair of fighter jets like the F14 Tomcat and FA18 Super Hornet. Along the way, he was given huge amounts of training and experience — far more than you could ever hope to get in the civilian world — that would put him in perfect sted for when the time came to leave the Navy and work with high-powered JDM icons.In this episode, Josh discusses how he transitioned away from the military and joined Driver Motorsports, where he builds everything from engines to full car projects, as well as manning the laptop in the dyno bay *spoiler alert* our own High Performance Academy courses had a part in filling any knowledge gaps he had.Josh has always loved 90s Japanese cars, so the conversation naturally turns towards stalwarts of the era — specifically Nissan's Z32 300ZX and R32 GT-R — in an attempt to separate hype from reality. Josh owns both, so he's more than qualified to weigh in on the subject. With some great conversations around buying cars at Japanese auctions and then importing them into the States, the ins and outs of road tuning, and minimising dyno result inconsistencies, this conversation with Josh Ray is well worth a listen. Follow Driver Motorsports here: IG: @drivermotorsportsFB: Driver MotorsportsYT: Driver MotorsportsWWW: drivermotorsports.comInterested in learning to build your own performance engine? Start here: https://hpcdmy.co/engineb

Welcome back to the Defining Moments podcast. On today's episode, we continue our eight part series on leadership through adversity with senior chief Tom George, CEO of Quarterback Impact Academy. Today we conclude our eight part series on leadership through Adversity with Senior Chief George.Senior Chief George talks about the transition from the military to running his own business. If he could go back and talk to himself, he would tell himself to lead with a little bit more humility. What is one main takeaway from this conversation? Live with purpose.This episode is brought to you by CMMFinancial Services. At CMM, we know how hard it is to find someone who knows and cares enough to create the tax and wealth plan that you deserve. After walking alongside hundreds of clients for the past 20 years with accounting, bookkeeping, tax strategy, and financial planning, we have created a proven system to help you reach your financial goals.CMM has your complete financial team to reach your financial goals. Book a call at cmmfinancialservices.com.

Welcome back to the Defining Moments podcast. On today's episode, we continue our eight part series on leadership through adversity with Senior Chief Tom George, CEO of Quarterback Impact Academy. Today, we dive into core principles of leadership with Senior Chief George. The victim mindset is one of the top diseases in our country. He says instead of taking accountability for their actions, people roll over. How do people overcome the victim mindset? This episode is brought to you by CMM Financial Services. At CMM, we know how hard it is to find someone who knows and cares enough to create the tax and wealth plan you deserve. After walking alongside hundreds of clients for the past 20 years with accounting, bookkeeping, tax strategy, and financial planning, we have created a proven system to help you reach your financial goals. CMM has your complete financial team to reach your financial goals. Book a call at cmmfinancialservices.com.

Welcome back to the defining Moments podcast. On today's episode, we continue our eightpart series on leadership through adversity with Senior Chief Tom George, CEO of Quarterback Impact Academy. Today we dive into core principles of leadership with Senior Chief George.This episode is brought to you by CMM financial services. At CMM, we know how how hard it is to find someone who knows and cares enough to create the tax and wealth plan that you deserve. After walking alongside hundreds of clients for the past 20 years with accounting, bookkeeping, tax strategy, and financial planning, we have created a proven system to help you reach your financial goals.CMM has your complete financial team to reach your financial goals. Book a call at cmmfinancialservices.com.

Yogi Born in Mexico joined the Navy out of Texas in 2002. He is rated as an AME (Aviation Structural Mechanic – Safety Equipment), and is retiring as a Chief. He currently is going through a Medical board process. His Wife Sachie (Pronounced: Saw-she) moved from Iwakuni Japan to San Diego and is ready for their next adventure. Chris was raised in Texas and Washington state joined the Navy out of Washington in 2003. He is rated as an AZ (Aviation Maintenance Administration), and is planning on retiring due to injuries as a Senior Chief. His wife Sarah and two children moved from Iwakuni Japan to the states and are ready for the next adventure. Med Board Advice: · Attend the MULTI-DISCIPLINARY BRIEF (MDB) class as soon as possible. This class is designed to provide you with information and resources related to your military service and to help you transition to civilian life. · In addition to attending the MDB class, be sure to also look into Chapter 31. This chapter provides comprehensive vocational rehabilitation and employment services to eligible service members with disabilities. https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/ · If there is a possibility of going LIMDU request to speak with PEBLO and also the MED Board attorneys as soon as possible. Learn the process, help your the team help you! · Stay engaged and proactive in YOUR process. · Your nonmedical assessment NMA is a huge part of the process. Be engaged with your chain of command so it tells the correct narrative. · Also submit your personal statement, you are the only I e that knows how much it truly affects your life. · Ask your chain of command and your friends to write statements of character on your behalf. Provide them a template, they are more likely to write it if they have a guide. · When doing your medical appointments make sure you cover the items you have ignored over the years. Those small aches and pains do not get better over time, they get worse. · It is also important to prioritize your mental, emotional, and physical health. Don't be afraid to seek help if you are feeling overwhelmed or struggling with any issues related to your service. Remember, you are your best advocate, and it may not be easy, but don't give up. o There are mental health counselors and chaplains to talk to. Do not wait until it gets bad to talk, start early and often because this is a major life event. · There are many resources available to you and your family, both through your military unit and base, as well as through the veteran community. If you are unable to find what you need through these sources, consider reaching out to non-profit organizations that have been established specifically to help military members and their families. With so many resources available, you don't have to suffer alone --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/vets2pm/support

In this episode, retired Senior Chief Tom George shares the moment it finally clicked with him and his role as a leader. Find out why Tom believes leading with a title or a rank is one of the most cowardly ways to lead. If you lead the right way, people will follow you without you having to express why. How do you lead without a rank or title? Find out more on this episode!This episode is brought to you by CM financial services. At CMM, we know how hard it is to find someone who knows and cares enough to create the tax and wealth plan that you deserve. After walking alongside hundreds of clients for the past 20 years with accounting, bookkeeping, tax strategy, and financial planning, we have created a proven system to help you reach your financial goals. Find out more: www.cmmfinancialservices.com

In this third episode of our Leadership Through Adversity series, Tom George, a retired Senior Chief in the Navy, shares his first experiences with leadership while serving in the Navy. Listen as he recounts the challenges he faced and the lessons he learned as he took on leadership roles for the first time. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform or like this video and subscribe for more episodes, and don't forget to join the conversation by using #leadership #adversity #podcast This episode is sponsored by CMM Financial Services. Own your finances and maximize your wealth, contact CMM today: https://www.cmmfinancialservices.com/

On today's episode, we continue our eight-part series on leadership through adversity with Senior Chief Tom George, CEO of Quarterback Impact Academy. How do you lead when you don't have the highest rank or title? Find out more on this episode!This episode is brought to you by CMM Financial Services. CMM has your complete financial team to reach your financial goals. Book your consultation today: https://www.cmmfinancialservices.com/ Find out more about Tom: https://qbimpact.com/ceo-founder/tom-george Follow Defining Moments Podcast on Youtube, Twitter, or visit our website undefeated.show for Undefeated Merch!

"Welcome to Defining Moments Podcast! In this first episode of our eight-part series on Leadership Through Adversity, we're joined by Tom George, a retired Senior Chief in the Navy. Tom shares the powerful story of his family's escape from communist Vietnam and how that experience shaped him as a leader. Tune in to hear more from Tom, and be sure to like and subscribe to our channel or on your favorite podcast platform to stay up to date on all our episodes. #leadership #adversity #podcast" You can find more from Tom at Web: https://qbimpact.com/ceo-founder/tom-george Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachGeorge5

On today's podcast Matt chats with Eddie Gallagher a retired Navy SEAL that served for 20 years  served as a Navy Corpsman, Marine Scout Sniper and Navy SEAL  completing 8 deployments, including tours to both Afghanistan and Iraq.  On his last combat deployment to Iraq in 2017, Eddie led a platoon to successfully defeat ISIS in Mosul. For his performance and leadership, he was highly commended upon returning home. He was named the #1 Navy SEAL Chief, nominated for a Silver Star, and slated for promotion to Senior Chief. He was then awarded a coveted training billet for his ‘twilight tour' as a SEAL, where in his last years in the SEAL teams he would bestow his experience and knowledge to future SEAL team members as they prepared to deploy.Eddie who was acquitted after being accused of war crimes. He came to national attention in the United States after he was charged in September 11th 2018 with ten offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In the most prominently reported offense, he was accused of fatally stabbing an injured 17-year-old ISIS prisoner, photographing himself with the corpse, and sending the photo to friends.On July 2, 2019, Gallagher was convicted of posing for a photograph with the corpse of an ISIS fighter, but was acquitted of all other charges after Special Operator Corey Scott, a member of Gallagher's team granted immunity as a witness against Gallagher, testified that he had killed the prisonerhttps://theeddiegallagher.com/Support the Gallagher non-profit foundation benefiting service members and law enforcement personnel at www.pipehitterfoundation.orgSupport the show - https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9LG48GC49TW38Website - www.zerolimitspodcast.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/zero.limits.podcast/?hl=en

Command Senior Chief Daniel Porcelli sits down with Jamie and Heath to discuss his unusual conversion from Senior Chief Career Recruiter to Command Senior Chief. We talk about why he converted, leadership values and much more! Daniel's wife, Erica, is a highly decorated realtor. Any listeners that are transferring and need a great realtor, give Erica a call. Phone: 708-257-6171 Website: https://www.ericasellsthecoast.com/

For nearly twenty years, Eddie served as a Navy Corpsman, Marine Scout Sniper and Navy SEAL. Eight overseas combat deployments, two Bronze Stars and one Navy Achievement Medal, both with “V” for Valor.On his last combat deployment to Iraq in 2017, Eddie led a platoon to successfully defeat ISIS in Mosul. For his performance and leadership, he was highly commended upon returning home. He was named the #1 Navy SEAL Chief, nominated for a Silver Star, and slated for promotion to Senior Chief. He was then awarded a coveted training billet for his ‘twilight tour' as a SEAL, where in his last years in the SEAL teams he would bestow his experience and knowledge to future SEAL team members as they prepared to deploy.However, despite this record of success and a sterling reputation, a conflict he thought was resolved during his last deployment followed him home. Chief Gallagher and his family suffered in silence for well over a year at the hands of a mounting whisper campaign started by a small group of disgruntled junior members of his platoon who had been called out by him as cowards on deployment. They were unwilling to keep up with his demands as an aggressive team leader and chief, and turned to deceit in order to escape scrutiny.The mutiny and ensuing whisper campaign grew into a hellish process, spiraling out of control. Ed was notified he was under investigation months after returning home but naively assumed his command and investigators would see through the absurdity of what was being said. After all, the claims of this small group defied eyewitnesses, logic, and were downright outrageous.Then, on September 11, 2018 he was arrested and unjustly charged with war crimes. Nearly eight months of pre-trial confinement -- being locked in prison before your court date -- followed.Only after a national outcry, a grassroots campaign led by his family, and an intense legal battle was Eddie found not guilty. He was finally free – proven innocent – but came dangerously close to being crushed by a military justice system corrupted by political correctness, careerism, and incompetence.The magnitude and terror of the ordeal that Eddie and his family went through will never leave them. During a raid, Eddie and Andrea's kids were taken out at gunpoint from their home and dragged into the street in their underwear. He was arrested from a TBI (traumatic brain injury) treatment clinic and thrown in jail with a prison population of convicted sex offenders for eight months before his trial. He was denied desperately-needed medical care, legal counsel, and even basic necessities like food and hygiene.The actions of the government - the very Navy Eddie served for 20 years - were appalling. They illegally leaked to the media to smear Eddie in the court of public opinion. They withheld exculpatory evidence. They spied on his legal counsel. Then, after being defeated, the Navy leadership had the gall to bestow achievement medals -- the same kind that Eddie was awarded for valor in combat -- to the corrupt prosecutors for losing their case.The Gallagher family tragically learned how broken the system is, that our service members and first responders can be unfairly and unjustly targeted, and how vital outside help can be in fighting back against this kind of corruption. They vowed, having lived through the terror of his case and escaping injustice, they would commit themselves to helping others in similar situations and fight to reform a broken system.

It's my personal pet peeve that we say Never Forget for 9/11, and yet days later, we forget Constitution Day, which is a bigger deal for a much longer time. That won't happen on The Republican Professor Podcast, at least not while I'm running it. Constitution Day should be as great, if not greater a day than July 4th, for without Separation of Powers, the Declaration would just be a piece of paper. This year's TRP 9/11 memorial episode guest is a very special man, Senior Chief Gabe Morris, USN (retired). Senior Chief Morris spent over 22 years in the United States Navy working as a Linguist and Intelligence Analyst with the Tagalog and Arabic languages. (Why would we need Arabic linguists ? Hmmm). His experience is as varied as very intense immersion-style academic training in the languages mentioned above, shore-based intelligence support, deployed special operations in the Middle East and elsewhere, but also includes time in Navy law enforcement, LEO special criminal investigations, and time as an instructor in support of Navy training, culminating in a highly specialized personnel billeting position for Navy linguists/intelligence orders which was a job for a Master Chief, which Gabe performed as a Senior Chief. As impressive as his unique Navy career is and was, from my perspective, most impressive is that he stayed happily married for over 20 years of his active service, while in at times quite stressful operating conditions. I was at his wedding at Lover's Point, Pacific Grove , California in the early 90s, when California had a Republican governor (remember those times?). He's a humble servant of Christ, and he has been that way the entire time I've known him. He's what we call in the business a true believer, and it was a pleasure catching back up with him. The Republican Professor is a pro-true-believer, pro-Navy-linguist, pro-special-operations, pro-intel-analyst, pro-good-LEO, pro-staying-married-for-a-long-time-through-thick-and-thin, pro-awesome-example-for-the-kids podcast. Therefore, welcome Senior Chief Gabe Morris, United States Navy, retired, for TRP 2022 9/11 Never Forget podcast episode. (The kids never knew in the first place, never forget that you can't forget what you never knew). (That's why we need to tell them about it). The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. Don't forget to never forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, Podvine, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, as well as here on the Republican censoring YouBoob I mean YouTube. Warmly, Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. The Republican Professor Podcast The Republican Professor Newsletter on Substack https://therepublicanprofessor.substa... https://www.therepublicanprofessor.co... YouTube channel: The Republican Professor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRepublica... Twitter: @RepublicanProf Instagram: @the_republican_professor

It is my absolutely pleasure to share one of my FAVORITE conversations with the INREDIBLE Jayne Epaloose. Jayne is a beautiful journey with an amazing story of how she faced challenges early in her life that led to an life in the Navy full of adventure where she worked her way from the bottom to the top by showing up and being her imperfectly, perfect self and never giving in when things got tough. She inspires her Sole Mate family daily and we are beyond grateful to have her on our team! Find out how she wakes up at 4am to take on the world before the sunrises and never sways from what she sets her mind to. She is truly an incredible human being. From Jayne: "Hi new friends!! I'm a 47 year old retired Navy lady & mom of a 14 year old exceptional son who is now a school counselor that works with our fearless leader Tina! I first started my running journey last winter. This quote from Kerry Washington still stands with me today… "I realized that I don't have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect and beautiful journey of my life." you'll be amazed what you can do just by showing up. The best part about Sole Mates is that each step, each workout, each time you show up…. You win! And we cheer you! Can't wait to show you all the runner love!!" --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/runwithtinarepa/support

Chief Theresa Kachindamoto was living her life as a secretary at a college in the Zomba District in southern Malawi when she received shocking news: she was chosen by the chiefs of her hometown to become the next Senior Chief. She returned home to discover that the town she grew up in had a major problem with child marriage. Despite massive pushback, she set out to make a change. — A BROAD is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is the podcast about the Broads who helped shape our world! — See All Our BROADS at www.BroadsYouShouldKnow.com Suggest a BROAD on the website, or email to BroadYouShouldKnow@gmail.com — BYSK is hosted & produced by Sara Gorsky (@SaraGorsky) BYSK is edited by Chloe Skye with original music by Darren Callahan — Support BYSK by: Writing a review on Apple Podcasts Sharing your favorite episode with your friends & family Follow us on social IG:@BroadsYouShouldKnow FB: @BroadsYouShouldKnow TW: @BYSKpodcast

IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL by ML Strong Narrated by Edison McDaniels When his former Senior Chief, Steve Auger, is brutally assassinated, former Navy SEAL officer, Matthew Barrett has a choice to make. He can slide back into an all too familiar pattern of alcohol abuse and depression, or he can shake his demons and hunt down the murderers responsible for his friend's death. Book four in the SEAL STRIKE series is a non-stop rollercoaster ride right up to its startling conclusion! In The Shadow of Evil is the sequel to The Brotherhood and is the fourth novel in the exciting collection of military adventure stories by retired Navy SEAL and combat veteran, M. L. Strong. Marty Strong is a retired Navy SEAL combat veteran (www.mlstrongauthor.com) and the author of two exciting adventure series of novels: The TIME WARRIOR SAGAS and the SEAL STRIKE series. Marty's novel, KANDAHAR MOON, is available for pre-sale now and set for release in paperback and kindle formats June 30, 2022. Currently the first three SEAL Strike stories are in audible format with the fourth due for release in Audible August 1, 2022. All profits from his novels are donated to the SEAL Veteran's Foundation to assist veterans suffering from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Listen to this right now on Audible! https://www.audible.com/pd/In-the-Shadow-of-Evil-Audiobook/B0B6GQQK8L?qid=1658205760&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=16RB2A8Q54EWH1JKD60B Listen to all episodes of THE SURGICAL FICTION PODCAST, right now right here! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-surgical-fiction-podcast/id1547756675

Shelly is my friend, and she is special.We met about 7 years ago at a conference and we immediately knew that we were kindred spirits. Since then we've hung out a handful of times and we always just pick up where we left off, cutting up, and feeling like we were bore from the same womb. We weren't.We talk about, parenting in the military, how hard won lessons stick the most, being a mother and deploying,  leading people at sea onboard the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower, why everyone should have a therapist, and mental health. This interview was recorded remotely.----Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you listen.Email: cannondispatchpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cannondispatch/Email List: https://cannondispatch.substack.com--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cannondispatch/support This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cannondispatch.substack.com

A retired Senior Chief with over 21 years in the US Navy. 20 of those spent with SEAL teams 1,5,and 3. He has deployments to the Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous other spicy locales. An expert in explosives, he coordinated over 10,000 explosive breach entries in his career. He now spends his time with his charity Tier 1 Outdoors, which provides hunting and fishing opportunities to military and law enforcement, this experience gives them the rest they need to be the friend and family member that they need to be. Additionally he coaches girls youth Rugby and strives to give future generations the tools they need to become the leaders of tomorrow. Father, Navy SEAL, Coach, and someone I am proud to call a friend.

In this ASTerisk episode of The Real ResQ, Olaf Leavelle and George Cavallo return to talk about leadership, mentorship, and the ever important topic, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.  Having Olaf and George on this episode together was important because their dynamic as Senior Chief and Chief made for a solid and supportive work environment. Their leadership styles and the depth at which they knew and supported their crew were vital to those facing life altering rescues.  We get into the why, how, and what should be done to support those who face difficult situations.  A common conversation in our episodes surround cases that you will never forget.  Some of our guests have referred to them as ‘the ghosts that come to you at random times throughout the day'. Listen to this entertaining yet powerful episode.  Enjoy!   https://therealresq.com/home https://www.facebook.com/therealresq https://www.instagram.com/therealresq   Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ; Breeze-Eastern, https://www.breeze-eastern.com/ SR3 Rescue Concepts, https://sr3rescueconcepts.com/ Rescue Swimmer Shop, https://www.rescueswimmershop.com/

On his last combat deployment to Iraq in 2017, Eddie led a platoon to successfully defeat ISIS in Mosul. For his performance and leadership, he was highly commended upon returning home. He was named the #1 Navy SEAL Chief, nominated for a Silver Star, and slated for promotion to Senior Chief. He was then awarded a coveted training billet for his ‘twilight tour' as a SEAL, where in his last years in the SEAL teams he would bestow his experience and knowledge to future SEAL team members as they prepared to deploy. However, despite this record of success and a sterling reputation, a conflict he thought was resolved during his last deployment followed him home. Chief Gallagher and his family suffered in silence for well over a year at the hands of a mounting whisper campaign started by a small group of disgruntled junior members of his platoon who had been called out by him as cowards on deployment. They were unwilling to keep up with his demands as an aggressive team leader and chief, and turned to deceit in order to escape scrutiny. The mutiny and ensuing whisper campaign grew into a hellish process, spiraling out of control. Ed was notified he was under investigation months after returning home but naively assumed his command and investigators would see through the absurdity of what was being said. After all, the claims of this small group defied eyewitnesses, logic, and were downright outrageous. Then, on September 11, 2018 he was arrested and unjustly charged with war crimes. Nearly eight months of pre-trial confinement -- being locked in prison before your court date -- followed. Only after a national outcry, a grassroots campaign led by his family, and an intense legal battle was Eddie found not guilty. He was finally free – proven innocent – but came dangerously close to being crushed by a military justice system corrupted by political correctness, careerism, and incompetence. The magnitude and terror of the ordeal that Eddie and his family went through will never leave them. During a raid, Eddie and Andrea's kids were taken out at gunpoint from their home and dragged into the street in their underwear. He was arrested from a TBI (traumatic brain injury) treatment clinic and thrown in jail with a prison population of convicted sex offenders for eight months before his trial. He was denied desperately-needed medical care, legal counsel, and even basic necessities like food and hygiene. The actions of the government - the very Navy Eddie served for 20 years - were appalling. They illegally leaked to the media to smear Eddie in the court of public opinion. They withheld exculpatory evidence. They spied on his legal counsel. Then, after being defeated, the Navy leadership had the gall to bestow achievement medals -- the same kind that Eddie was awarded for valor in combat -- to the corrupt prosecutors for losing their case. The Gallagher family tragically learned how broken the system is, that our service members and first responders can be unfairly and unjustly targeted, and how vital outside help can be in fighting back against this kind of corruption. They vowed, having lived through the terror of his case and escaping injustice, they would commit themselves to helping others in similar situations and fight to reform a broken system.