The story of Richard Stayskal is by no means complete. The ending remains to be written. He survived a snipers’ bullet but is now fighting for his life against cancer and the bureaucracy. Richard Stayskal We need YOUR help to write the ending to this story. I take pride in show prep.  I read books before having authors on the show. I watch documentaries before we feature their producers. And, on occasion, we reject guests because they just don’t fit. But sometimes the best laid show outline doesn’t survive first contact with the guest. This turned out not [...]

Catkiller was the call sign for the Army 220th Aviation Company over Vietnam.  They flew light, slow, single engine aircraft with virtually no armament.  Ray Caryl was one of them. The role of these Birddog pilots is described in his new book “Catkiller 3-2: An Army Pilot Flying for the Marines in Vietnam”. Ray and his fellow “Birddog” pilots flew the O-1, a military version of the Cessna. Perhaps not very sexy but the O-1 has been called the deadliest aircraft in the US inventory because of its ability to bring artillery and air support to bear upon the enemy.  [...]

Like many of his generation, Army Ranger Ray McPadden joined the military following the 9/11 attacks. He served seven years with the 2nd Ranger Battalion and 10th Mountain Division – including four combat tours. Ray spent almost two years on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border during which time his unit established the first American foothold in the notorious Korengal Valley – the same valley made famous in Sebastian Junger’s award winning documentary “Restrepo”. Ray also served in Iraq where he helped form special operations task force comprised of elite Army Rangers and Navy SEALS.  His unit conducted highly classified missions against agents [...]

Being named Sailor of the Year on one of the most advanced fighting machines in the world is quite an achievement. USS Tucson Chief Petty Officer Michael Larson and his wife Alisha pop into the studio during their Namesake City visit to share some thoughts. Michael is a Machinist Mate which means he is responsible for maintenance and repairs of key components aboard the submarine. He was named Sailor of the Year for his steadfast commitment to vital repairs that allowed the USS Tucson to fulfill missions of national interest. While most of us would find the pressure of doing [...]

The Call of Duty Endowment was created by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick in 2009 after learning that nearly 30% of post 9/11 Veterans were facing challenges in finding civilian employment. Since then, the Endowment has funded the placement of 50,000 veterans in careers paying an average of $27,000 more than the national median. Activision Blizzard is the world’s largest and most profitable western interactive entertainment company. Call of Duty Endowment Executive Director Dan Goldenberg joins us to share how his organization has achieved this milestone. Dan is a Naval Academy and Harvard Business School graduate. The Endowment’s focus is to [...]

Deliver Fund Co-Founder and Exec. Director Nic McKinley used to save lives and catch bad guys overseas. Now he does it right here in our country. Nic mentioned to a Navy recruiter that he wanted to be a medic in the SEAL Teams.  The response was “Why wouldn’t you just become a PJ?”  Nic had never heard of Air Force pararescue but went on to spend 10 years serving as a member of these elite teams. While attached to a Joint Special Operations team shortly after 9/11, he noticed some other team members that were “kind of held in reverence [...]