Hazard Ground

Despite their difference in military rank when they served in the Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment - one a seasoned enlisted man with a combat deployment already under his belt, and the other, a new lieutenant working to gain experience and the respect of other Rangers - Donald Lee and Matthew Griffin became fast friends.  They went to war together several times, all the while hatching a plan to become business partners when the bullets stopped whizzing overhead.  What they started, in spite of a few roadblocks along the way, was Combat Flip Flops - a successful flip flop company, that now produces other clothing and gear as well.  Combat Flip Flops employs a business model that helps create stability and security in war-torn countries by helping to educate children there, clear unexploded mines, and provide economic opportunities and a sense of purpose that otherwise wouldn't exist.  And they do it with a sense of humor and community that only two individuals who have endured the "suck" of multiple combat d

Jason Van Camp, who is today the Founder and Chairman of Mission 6 Zero, is another one of those guys who knows what it means to be a leader, in every sense of the word. He knows what it's like to have passion for something in life and to scratch and claw toward a goal until it's been achieved. He knows what it means to never quit - at least not until there's physically nothing left to give (and even then we're not quite sure Jason would give up). And it's that attitude that has gotten Jason through hundreds of hours of rigorous military training, multiple combat deployments in Special Operations as a Green Beret, and countless moments unlocking the hidden potential of others, so that they too can achieve greatness. Hear his story of combat and survival - how he's lead soldiers on the battlefield and also dealt with personal loss - on this very inspirational episode of Hazard Ground! www.mission6zero.com | www.warriorrising.org

Feeling an obligation to do his part for his country, Paul Rieckhoff enlisted in the Army after graduating from college in the years just before 9/11. After the Twin Towers fell, Paul found himself in uniform working tirelessly at Ground Zero. It wouldn't be long after that he would trade the dust and debris of 9/11 for the sands of Iraq, fighting as an infantryman at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following his service overseas, Paul returned home to start a group that is now the leading post-9/11 veteran empowerment organization, serving his country in a much different, but much needed role once again. Paul is the founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), a veteran advocacy powerhouse that is making sure those who put on the uniform and serve around the globe, are given the support they deserve when they finally make it home. www.iava.org | "Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq - A Soldier's Perspective"

Many know Taya Kyle as the wife of American Sniper, Chris Kyle...But for so many others she's an inspiration for overcoming tragedy. For us, she is our first non-military member that we've interviewed, but her story is so compelling. She is raw, honest, and graceful. This is a woman who has shown more strength in her grief, than most do in a lifetime. And like Chris, she is a protector, who continues to help others through times of trouble. Please do not miss this episode!   www.tayakyle.com | www.chriskylefrog.com | www.chriskylefrogfoundation.org

Washington Redskins Special Teams Coordinator, Ben Kotwica is a proven leader through and through. From his time spent grinding it out on the football field at West Point, to flying Apache attack helicopters in combat, and returning home to work his way up to coaching in the National Football League, Ben embodies the importance of preparation, perseverance, and mentorship. It was truly an honor to have him on the show to share his take on combat, survival, coaching, and leadership!  

When Marty Skovlund joined the military, he knew right from the start he wanted to be a part of the best the Army had to offer.  He wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself...and Marty is not a small man.  So after Infantry School, he earned a coveted spot in the 75th Ranger Regiment, one of the most elite units in the United States Military.  While in the Ranger Regiment, Marty served five combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan combined.  Marty has since left the military, and is now an author and filmmaker, bringing other great stories, like his, to life.  Check out his story of combat and survival on this episode of Hazard Ground!   Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror | www.martyskovlundjr.com | @MartySkovlundJr | www.darbyproject.org

As a Marine, Jonathan Hancock experienced some of the worst fighting of the Iraq War in 2004 in Ar Ramadi.  That year started off fairly peaceful, and it looked as if an extended American presence in Iraq would not be needed.  Then, all hell broke loose, and Ramadi offered some of the fiercest fighting the Marines would see.  Jon survived combat, but when he came home, like most of his fellow 2/4 Marines - nicknamed "The Magnificent Bastards" - he continued to fight a battle that raged within.  Before it took him out for good, Jon decided to take a trip to try and heal.  That trip was a walk across the United States, from coast to coast, in honor and remembrance of those Magnificent Bastards that never made it home.  This is another great story you don't want to miss!  www.bastardsroad.com @bastardsroad @bastardsroadmovie 

Part II of our episode w/ David S. Williams.  Thanks for listening!

If you followed the news during the start of the war in Iraq in 2003, you probably remember the two Apache pilots that were shot down behind enemy lines during the first weeks of the war.  One of those pilots was Chief Warrant Officer David S. Williams, and his story was chronicled on several news outlets following his rescue.  But what you didn't hear was a detailed account of his time in captivity.  He and his co-pilot suffered through weeks of brutal interrogations among other perils.  Hear the full story of what they endured on this episode of Hazard Ground!  

Nate Boyer has lived anything but an ordinary life.  Primarily because he's a man who knows how to set goals and achieve them.  Not just any goals either; we're talking big goals.  In early 2005, after working as a volunteer at refugee camps in Africa, he came back to the US and joined the Army, becoming a Green Beret in 2006.  After serving in combat as a Green Beret, he decided to work toward achieving another dream of his: playing professional football.  An unlikely candidate, Nate made the University of Texas Longhorn football team as a walk-on safety.  Following graduation, he then went on to join the Seattle Seahawks as a long snapper.  Nate Boyer knows what it means to follow your dreams, even if that means swimming against the current.  He knows what it means to rise up to a challenge and ultimately succeed.  And now, he's using his own experiences to help other dreamers do the same! @NateBoyer37 | www.nateboyer.com | www.mission6zero.com | www.vetsandplayers.org | www.waterboys.org/kili/

If you're looking for inspiration, a leader, or someone with true grit, look no further than Brigadier General (Ret) Becky Halstead.  She is a leader and a trailblazer through and through.  There aren't enough words to describe how great this woman is...You just have to listen.  It was truly an honor to have her on our show, and this is definitely one episode you don't want to miss!!  www.beckyhalstead.com  24/7: The First Person You Must Lead Is You

On Christmas Day 2006, Navy Corpsman Dustin Kirby was shot through the jaw by a sniper in Iraq.  Up to that point, Kirby had worked tirelessly on the battlefield to save the lives of several Marines who he served with as their first-line source of medical care in combat.  The sniper's bullet is what eventually took Kirby off the battlefield, and left him with a decade or so of chronic pain, depression, and limited ability to perform such simple tasks as eating and talking.  It took ten years to find the right help to put Kirby's face, jaw and life back together, and eventually end his suffering.  This is a heartwarming account of one veteran's journey of overcoming his enemies on the battlefield to, in the end, defeating his own pain when he came home.  Check it out!  

Joshua Brandon served three combat tours in Iraq, for which he was awarded the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars with Valor.  He served ten years in the Army as an Infantry Officer.  But when he came home from combat, he soon realized he was battling another enemy; one from within.  In 2007, he was diagnosed with PTSD and has since battled with the effects of PTSD and a traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Fortunately for Joshua, he found a remedy in the healing powers of the wilderness.  He took to alpine climbing and other outdoor pursuits as a way to find a new sense of purpose and repair the wounds caused by a war that persists to this day.  Today, he continues to work in the Outdoor Industry, providing veterans with outdoor therapeutic adventure, participating in veteran outdoor scientific studies, and furthering environmental conservation.  He's even a sponsored alpine athlete with the outerwear brand Outdoor Research.  This is a great, inspirational story you don't want to miss!  www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/

Part II of our episode w/ Justin Watt.  Thanks for listening!

It's war.  It's what we can only imagine hell to be like, and Justin Watt lived through it.  His story is eye-opening and shaded by the dark narratives and hard choices that only war can draw out.  He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division's renowned 502nd Infantry Regiment, serving as an infantryman in Iraq's "Triangle of Death" in 2005-06.  His unit suffered unimaginable losses during their year-long deployment, and the horror only intensified when four members of his platoon, his brothers in arms, murdered an Iraqi family of four in Yusufiyah, and then gang raped their fourteen year old daughter before shooting her to death and setting her body on fire, in an attempt to cover up their involvement.  Justin tells the story of how he survived a year of unrelenting enemy attacks, a persistent breakdown in unit leadership, and ultimately the immediate backlash from that same leadership when he was the first to speak up about the murdered Iraqi family and report it to U.S. Army officials.

When a U.S. Army Colonel told a young Shannon Polson that she would never fly an attack aircraft, she set out to prove him wrong.  As a matter of fact she became one of the Army's first female Apache pilots, and the first woman Apache pilot assigned to a line unit in the XVIII Airborne Corps.  Serving overseas multiple times, she lead two flight platoons and a line company.  When her time in the Army was finished, she used her experiences as a pilot, adventurer, and leader to forge a career as an author and public speaker.  Today, she incorporates her love of art with her sense of adventure and pathfinding to help others overcome life's most difficult challenges.  She's a true leader in every sense of the word, and someone we are proud and honored to have on the podcast.  We hope you enjoy it!  www.shannonpolson.com | North of Hope | The Road Ahead: Stories of the Forever War | THE GRIT PROJECT

For several years, Brian Castner performed one of the military's most difficult and dangerous jobs: he was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician.  Not only was he an EOD tech, but he was also an officer, leading a team of bomb disposal experts, and ultimately responsible for every decision they made in combat.  He served two combat tours in Iraq as the leader of an EOD unit.  But, when he came home from his final combat tour, he began fighting a new enemy within, one he defines as the "Crazy," a jangled mix of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) symptoms.  It has taken time, but Brian's wounds are healing, and he is now an established writer and bestselling author of books that are helping others deal with the scars of combat.  For many, the war continues on once they leave the battlefield...Brian is proof of that.  He is also proof that there is a way to heal from the wounds that so many combat veterans battle each and every day.  This is another great episode you

On December 19, 2005, Noah Galloway was driving the lead truck in a small convoy when his vehicle was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Iraq's "Triangle of Death."  Taking the brunt of the blast, Galloway was severely injured and ended up losing his left arm and leg.  The loss of two limbs devastated the former standout athlete and fitness guru.  So much so that it sent him into a downward spiral of excessive drinking and depression.  Noah eventually hit rock bottom, and when he did, he rebounded with zeal and surpassed the image of what he once was.  Noah looked beyond his darkest moment and his injuries, and fought to get himself back into excellent physical shape, eventually becoming a competitive adventure race athlete, personal trainer, author, and motivational speaker.  He was even named the 2014 Ultimate Men's Health Guy by Men's Health magazine, gracing the cover of that year's November issue.  Noah's story is one of resiliency and inspiration, and one that many to this day draw streng

Many people know the story behind the Battle of Mogadishu, immortalized in the book and film, Black Hawk Down.  Rarely though, does one get the opportunity to see it from a different perspective; from one of the soldiers who fought and lived through that harrowing day in 1993.  Matt Eversmann (portrayed by Josh Hartnett in the film Black Hawk Down), not only survived that battle, but went on to share his experiences, leading young men and women, and preparing them to face circumstances in life when the stakes are highest.  Matt now spreads that message by working as a motivational speaker.  This is an incredible episode, told by someone who witnessed the Battle of Mogadishu firsthand, giving you a unique point of view you just can't get from book or film.