Van Curaza (R) Operation Surf saved Bobby Lane’s life. Surfing saved Van Curaza’s life. Together, they are helping to rebuild and save other lives. Operation Surf is the subject of the award winning documentary “Resurface”. Bobby said he wanted to serve with the best, so he became a Marine. Serving in Iraq, his platoon suffered five roadside bomb attacks in the span of 11 days. Bobby was exposed to all of them but was so committed to the [...]
Marco and Diane DeLeon The Old Glory Relay honors the sacrifices of the thousands of men and women who have fought for America’s freedom and promotes the ideal of unity under the stars and stripes of the US Flag. Volunteers with Team Red White and Blue are moving a flag 4,600 miles across the country. The relay began September 11th in Seattle and will conclude with arrival in Tampa on Veterans Day. Marco DeLeon will be participating in [...]
Jeffrey Marshburn is facing challenges making a transition. He is a highly competent and educated man. He has three degrees including an MBA. He has qualified for one of the most demanding organizations in the world and taught at perhaps the greatest leadership development institution on the planet. So, why can’t he find a job? Well, Jeff is a Veteran. He spent half of his career as a member of the Special Forces and the other half as an infantry [...]
When you are a pilot for the Army’s elite 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, there is no such thing as a “normal day”. But November 27, 2006 was a day David Cooper won’t forget. Cooper was flying an AH-6 “Little Bird” as lead in a six helicopter formation delivering Special Operations Forces on a mission north of Baghdad. The Night Stalkers earned their nickname as the first unit to fly using night vision equipment. That day they were flying in broad [...]
Charles Faint wanted to provide his West Point cadets with a real life examples of team building. But he had to get approval before he published the article “Competition, Call of Duty and ‘Naked Chicks with Guns’; Lessons on Team building from an Elite Special Operations Unit”. The issue also caused quite a bit of controversy around his family dinner table – particularly for his daughter Emily. Emily shares HER perspective to begin our show. This excellent article highlights Charles’ [...]
Attorney and Army Veteran Matt Randle shares key points that members of the military should know about civilian law. We begin by discussing Veterans Courts. The first Veterans court was established in Buffalo, New York in 2008. There are current Veterans Courts in all 50 states. The purpose of the courts is to allow for rehabilitation in a non-correctional system setting. Any Veteran is eligible for the program but the degree of qualifying offenses vary by jurisdiction. While Veterans may [...]
Bill Hutton, Sr. V.P. Purple Heart Foundation The Purple Heart is awarded to military members wounded or killed in any action against an enemy of the United States or as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed forces. It is the oldest military award still presented to US Service members. This week we discuss the Purple Heart Foundation and Purple Heart Wines– a unique and delicious fundraising initiative of the C. Mondavi and [...]
Sean Cavanagh has struggled with thoughts of suicide for two decades. Several hundred times the dark thoughts have come, ranging from deep depression to a moment when he sat in his bedroom, a loaded Glock in his hand. A member of both the military and law enforcement community for two decades, he was well aware of the stigma attached to suicide so he kept his struggle to himself. Then, following conversations with two separate colleagues who were suffering, he [...]
Retired Ranger and FBI Special Agent James Gagliano knew about the threat of terrorists before 9/11 – he saw it firsthand in Yemen. As a member of the elite FBI Hostage Rescue Team, James was dispatched to provide security for the FBI investigators building the case against al-Qa’ida following the December 2000 attack on the USS Cole. He recalls pacing the deck of the wounded Cole, his weapon at the ready, and thinking thoughts of revenge. A graduate of WestPoint [...]
On Independence Day weekend two guests remind our listeners that Freedom isn’t Free. Both are representatives of the Folds of Honor foundation and both have made sacrifices for the freedom we celebrate this weekend. One lost a leg and the other lost her husband. Major Ed Pulido Major Ed Pulido is the Folds of Honor Senior Vice President. He is a 19 year Army Veteran and on August 17th 2004 hit an IED in Iraq. Ed made a [...]