Joe Lowrey was deployed with the 7th Special Forces Group in Afghanistan. In July of 2014 an enemy machine gun round pierced the front of his helmet, traveled across the top of his skull and exited the back of his head. He was given an 11% chance of survival and his Green Beret teammates gathered by his bedside while Joe was administered the Last Rites. After thirty days in a coma, Joe DID survive with all his mental faculties but [...]
“Hot Mics and TV Lights: The Armed Forces Vietnam Network” is the latest work from Marc Yablonka. The book provides the first person perspective of thirty seven individuals who served with the Armed Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN).The AFVN was the military broadcast network that served American service personnel during the Vietnam War. Navy Chief Petty Officer Bryan Arbuckle is considered the “father” of AFVN. He put it together in 1962 over a matter of weeks employing used equipment and borrowed [...]
Holiday separations are an unfortunate but necessary part of military service. As civilians we should recognize that the reason we are able to spend our holiday peacefully and safely with friends and family is because members of our military and first responder communities have volunteered to be apart from theirs. This burden is particularly heavy upon those forces who, by the nature of their work, have a higher than normal deployment tempo. The Air Force Pararescue community falls into this [...]
Green Beret Foundation Director of Programs and Services Anna Richardson joins us for an update on their programs. The mission of the Green Beret Foundation is to provide Special Forces soldiers and their families with emergency, immediate and ongoing support. Since inception, the GBF has provided support for over 14,000 families. For Anna, her work with the Green Beret Foundation is “personal”. She served as a mental health and drug and alcohol counselor in the Army and is a Green [...]
Rick Kaiser always had a fascination with the sea, so at the age of 17 he visited the Navy recruiter with the intention of joining the submarine service. However, while sitting in the office, he picked up a pamphlet about the SEALs and decided that was the course he would rather follow. Rick would go on to serve with both SEAL Team 2 and SEAL Team 6. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the National Navy [...]
Wreaths Across America plans to lay more than three million fresh wreaths at the graves of Veterans in more than 4,000 locations this year. Co-Founder and Executive Director Karen Worcester joins us to explain more about the organization and their initiatives. This year’s event will take place December 16. Karen’s husband Morill visited Arlington National Cemetery as a young man and was taken with scope and solemnity of what he saw. In 1993 the family decided to donate 5,000 wreaths [...]
Electronic Combat crew member Alex Underwood has several achievements during his Air Force career, including being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. We talk with Alex as part of our educational partnership with the Distinguished Flying Cross Society. The mission of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society is to honor, preserve and teach the legacy of heroism or extraordinary achievement in aerial flight for which the DFC is awarded. Alex’s father was a bugler who served in France during WWI and his [...]
Havok Journal owner Charles Faint joins us for another update from my favorite website for all things military and first responders. Charles served 27 years in the Army, including seven combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan attached to various special operations units. We being with the article “Give Your Flowers to the Living”. The crux of the article discusses the importance of honoring people and sharing how much you care while they are still living rather than just at their [...]
USAA recently conducted a poll of Veterans, active duty personnel and the general population. The survey centered on the topic of Veterans Day. The results were surprising. John Bird, USAA’s Senior Vice President of Military Affairs joins us to share more. Some of the results were disturbing; 28% of the civilian respondents didn’t know or were unsure why we recognize Veteran’s Day. Others shed light on generational disparities between Veteran populations. Seventy percent of younger Veterans said they felt uncomfortable [...]
Brandon Caserta always dreamed of being a Navy SEAL. He was well on his way when a series of tragic events led to him taking his own life. As a legacy to his memory, his parents fought for new rules that will help other military members who are struggling. By all accounts, Brandon was a happy go lucky young man and always ready to help others. Patrick is a Navy Veteran and he and Teri were not excited about Brandon’s [...]