Podcast Archives - American Warrior Radio

Mon 4/13/2026

“Sheepdog” – Steven Grayhm

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-04-13T14:11:08-07:00April 13th, 2026|

“Sheepdog” is an incredibly powerful film that examines the issues faced by some Veterans seeking to reintegrate back into civilian life. The topics of Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress and Veteran suicide are all highlighted in a gritty and unvarnished manner. With an outstanding cast including Academy Award Nominee Virginia Madsen, Emmy Nominee Vondie Curtis Hall and SAG award Nominee Dominic Fumusa, the film has already won nine awards. “Sheepdog” writer, director and lead actor Steven Grayhm joins us [...]

Mon 4/6/2026

Havok Journal Update – Charles Faint

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-04-13T10:09:01-07:00April 6th, 2026|

Havok Journal owner Charles Faint sits down with us for a broad ranging discussion on issues important to our Veterans, Military families and nation. As the voice of the Veteran community, the Havok Journal provides insightful and unvarnished articles combined with a little bit of humor. We begin with “Borrowed Battles and the Hunger for Higher Purpose.” Charles proposes that everyone needs a mission in life, especially young people. However, with so much time on everyone’s hands, people seeking purpose [...]

Mon 3/30/2026

Captain Bob Wells, U.S. Navy

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-03-30T10:32:27-07:00March 30th, 2026|

Robert Wells had a distinguished 30-year career in our US Navy. His career included two ship commands: the AEGIS cruiser USS Lake Champlain during Operation Enduring Freedom and the guided missile frigate USS Lewis B. Puller. During his career, Wells was awarded twenty service medals including two Defense Superior Service medals and two Legions of Merit. Bob had over 5 years of White House & National Security Council experience in the Bush 43/Clinton administrations. He also served as Special Advisor [...]

Thu 3/26/2026

John Mangan – “The Three Rings Mindset”

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-03-26T18:19:52-07:00March 26th, 2026|

John Mangan had a 25-year Air Force career, much of it flying as a combat search and rescue pilot. A Veteran of over 200 combat missions, John has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor twice, the Air Medal 12 times and the Aerial Achievement medal twice. His actions in combat have been documented in the books Not a Good Day to Die, None Braver, Zero Six Bravo, and Dead Men Risen. Mangan has taken lessons learned in combat and [...]

Mon 3/23/2026

U.S. Space Force – Col. Brandon P. Alford

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-03-25T16:23:21-07:00March 23rd, 2026|

The U.S. Space Force formally became the sixth branch of our military on December 20, 2019. Their mission is straight forward; secure our nation’s interests in, from and to space. Space Force members are known as “Guardians”. Colonel Brandon P. Alford, Commander of U.S. Space Forces Southern, joins us to discuss the mission and tools available to our newest branch. The Space Force currently has no Guard of Reserve component, and with approximately 9,400 active-duty service members, is the smallest [...]

Sun 3/22/2026

Darryl Worley – Country Music Star and Patriot

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-03-22T11:40:44-07:00March 22nd, 2026|

Country music artist Daryl Worley says a 2002 Sergeant Major of the Army “Freedom and Hope” tour changed his life. During the tour, Worely accompanied the Sergeant Major on daily “short hops” to visit and perform for troops serving in the field at forward operating base and command posts. He calls it “One of the most surreal experiences of my life.” Worley would continue to participate in those tours for over a decade, sometimes twice per year. That first visit [...]

Mon 3/9/2026

DiveHeart Foundation – Jim Elliott and Tinamarie Hernandez

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-03-25T16:15:11-07:00March 9th, 2026|

DiveHeart Foundation Founder and President Jim Elliott, along with Executive Director Tinamarie Hernandez join American Warrior Radio to tell us more about this great organization.DiveHeart assists Veterans with severe injuries through adaptive scuba training. Jim has been very comfortable working around disabled persons his entire life. His father was a disabled Army Vet at the local Veterans hospital, and his daughter was born blind. He got his daughter involved in downhill skiing and personally witnessed how it made a positive [...]

Mon 3/2/2026

Doug Hegdahl – The Unlikely Hero

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-03-10T11:55:23-07:00March 2nd, 2026|

Doug Hegdahl said he “probably had the most embarrassing capture of the Vietnam War”. Despite the odd circumstances that led him to become a Prisoner of War, he would turn out to be a rather unusual hero. Author Marc Leepson shares Hegdahl’s amazing story in his latest book “The Unlikely War Hero; A Vietnam War POW’s Story of Courage and Resistance in the Hanoi Hilton.” Hegdahl grew up in a small South Dakota town and was described as very bright [...]

Mon 2/23/2026

Bob Breault – Wild Weasel in Vietnam

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-03-03T19:12:10-07:00February 23rd, 2026|

Bob Breault was one of the first Air Force Pilots tasked with undertaking the very dangerous “Wild Weasel” missions in Vietnam. The way he describes it, they would go up and do a “dance in the sky” daring the enemy to shoot at them, thus allowing other pilots to attack the SAM missile sites. Breault flew 9 combat missions over North Vietnam and 280 over South Vietnam, earning the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross and multiple Air Medals. He was [...]

Mon 2/16/2026

Warrior Poet Ryan McDermott

Ben Buehler-Garcia2026-02-17T06:29:50-07:00February 16th, 2026|

The concept of a Warrior Poet is not new. The Spartans, Knights Templar and Japanese Samurai all honored writing as much as fighting. Ryan McDermott is a West Point graduate who earned his Ranger tab and served in the Army from 2000-2006. Ryan led an infantry platoon during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and his platoon was the first unit to cross the Euphrates River and reach the tarmac of Saddam International Airport in April of 2003. Ryan shares a poem inspired [...]