Podcast Archives - American Warrior Radio

Sun 8/10/2025

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps – Carlos A. Ruiz

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-08-10T12:38:14-07:00August 10th, 2025|

The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is the highest-ranking enlisted member of the Marine Corps. The role of the SMMC is to advise the Commandant on matters affecting enlisted Marines, represent the enlisted force in discussions with Senior Leadership and oversee the implementation of policies and programs that impact enlisted personnel. Carlos A. Ruiz assumed the post as the 20th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps on August 10, 2023. Carlos and his family immigrated to the United States [...]

Mon 8/4/2025

Peter Singer – “Useful Fiction”

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-08-04T11:45:49-07:00August 4th, 2025|

Peter Singer is not only a best-selling author, but he has also been described by the Wall Street Journal as the “premiere futurist in the national-security environment”. No author has more books on the professional military reading lists. I was inspired to reach out to Peter after reading his 2015 book “Ghost Fleet”. Ghost Fleet is a fictional novel that describes World War III. He shares that several Admirals at the Pentagon read “Ghost Fleet” and began to ask questions [...]

Mon 7/28/2025

Ayman Kafel – Transforming How We Train Law Enforcement

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-07-28T08:24:59-07:00July 28th, 2025|

Ayman Kafel served our national honorably in the US Army and was a translator in Iraq during the height of the war against Al-Qaeda. Following a medical retirement from the Army, Ayman still had a heart of service and became a police officer. In law enforcement, he served in a diverse roles including SWAT, DEA Task Force Officer, undercover interdiction and patrol. When we last spoke with Ayman in 2022, he had just founded Project Sapient. He did so to [...]

Mon 7/21/2025

HER Campaign – Britney Higgs & Stacy Zinn

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-07-21T14:32:42-07:00July 21st, 2025|

The HER Campaign was founded by Britney Higgs and her husband Sammy in 2016 after Britney returned from filming a documentary in Iraq. The mission of the HER Foundation is to help survivors of human trafficking heal, grow and find purpose. They operate shelter/recovery facilities in Billings, Montana and Denver, Colorado. Britney and Sammy were hired by a Non-Governmental Organization to produce a documentary regarding the victims of human trafficking in war torn regions. They went to Iraq right after [...]

Mon 7/14/2025

Fuji Fire – Chas Henry

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-07-14T15:54:24-07:00July 14th, 2025|

The Fuji Fire is considered by many to be one of the most serious peacetime disasters suffered by our United States Marine Corps. Among the 54 Marines badly burned, thirteen Marines lost their lives. Yet, many people have never heard of it. Marine Corps Veteran Chas Henry has written a book to try and remedy that situation. It is called “Fuji Fire; Sifting Ashes of a Forgotten U.S. Marine Corps Tragedy”. Chas is a combat decorated Marine Corps Veteran himself [...]

Tue 7/1/2025

“The Devil’s Playground” – Andrew Bragg

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-07-01T08:52:01-07:00July 1st, 2025|

The Devil’s Playground was the name given to the Arghandab Valley of Afghanistan by the US troops who fought there. It is also the title of a book written by Andrew Bragg about his fellow paratroopers of Charlie Company’s 2nd Platoon and their 2009-2010 deployment to the valley. His unit experienced fifty percent casualties and six KIA during that deployment. Andrew says “I thought about the guys in my platoon every single day for 12 years, but I never reached [...]

Sun 6/22/2025

Havok Journal Update – Charles Faint

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-06-22T19:08:22-07:00June 22nd, 2025|

Havok Journal owner Charles Faint joins us for an update on some of the topics covered on their website. Charles is a 27-year Army Veteran with seven combat tours in Iraq & Afghanistan, many in an intelligence capacity with Special Operations Forces. He currently serves as Managing Editor at the Modern War Institute. We begin with a discussion on several topics regarding China. Several years ago Charles published an article about China and the tiny Pacific Island nation of Kiribati. [...]

Wed 6/18/2025

Athletes Who Served Our Nation – Bill Brown

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-06-18T06:26:58-07:00June 18th, 2025|

Athletes who have served in our military has always been a fascinating topic for me. Hence, I was extremely excited to read Bill Brown’s book “Wartime Athletes; Stories of Sports Stars Who Joined the US Team.” Bill had an extensive career as a sports broadcaster including calling games for both the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros. Bill also served in Vietnam as a sports broadcaster for Armed Forces Network Vietnam. They would record contests and then rebroadcast them to [...]

Mon 6/9/2025

“Grit to Glory” – Green Beret Darrell Utt

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-06-09T08:34:48-07:00June 9th, 2025|

“Grit to Glory” by Green Beret Veteran Darrell Utt recounts his journey from the woods of West Virginia to his role as team Sergeant for ODA 043 in the streets of Baghdad during some of the most vicious fighting. Darell grew up “dirt poor” and he says a trip to Burger King was “fine dining” for his family. He spent a great deal of time in the woods hunting, fishing and trapping with his father, which he says would later [...]

Sun 6/1/2025

Farmers and Veterans

Ben Buehler-Garcia2025-06-01T15:55:38-07:00June 1st, 2025|

Farmers helping Veterans and a program to help more Veterans pursue careers as farmers are the subjects of this episode. We begin with Michelle Keller, Senior Director of Farm 2 Veteran, a non-profit with headquarters in Manhattan, Illinois. A study showed that one in five of our nation’s Veterans are currently facing food insecurity. Farm 2 Veteran began in 2020 with one 60-acre farm in Manhattan owned be a “serial entrepreneur” who wanted to do something for Veterans and funded [...]