Hazard Ground

In 2004 in the Iraq desert, British soldier, Brian Wood found himself on the receiving end of an order not given in battle in 25 years: FIX BAYONETS! In just a split second he digested that phrase, and began leading his men on a full-frontal assault against an entrenched enemy, charging into heavy oncoming fire. Outnumbered, he and his men engaged in a close-quarter battle, seizing the initiative and defeating the enemy force, saving numerous allied soldiers' lives. For his courageous leadership in battle, Brian was awarded the Military Cross by Her Majesty The Queen II - one of Britain’s highest awards for gallantry in combat. But, his story doesn't end there. Years later he would be tried for war crimes under bogus litigation, straining his will and close relationships to a near breaking point. Hear how he survived one of the most daring assaults in military history, and the fallout from having his honor questioned years later, in this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! "Double Crossed: The Highest Honour, T

Remi Adeleke was destined to lead an unconventional life. He might say it was divine intervention. Whatever it was, it put him on a path most ordinary people never travel. Then again, Remi isn't an ordinary human being. He was born into Nigerian royalty, the son of a Yoruba chief. His father was also an entrepreneur, architect, and engineer, who worked to bring prosperity to Nigeria through innovative development projects. But, his father's untimely death would leave Remi's family penniless, and resettled in the Bronx, NY. Remi would go from Prince to street hustler, until a twist of fate lead him to the Navy, where he put himself through hell to become a Navy SEAL. His story didn't end there, but only got better. Hear his incredible story of transformation - how he defied the odds in the Bronx, the Navy, and in combat - on this very inspirational episode of HAZARD GROUND! "Transformed" Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.com, cli

We bring a little bit of levity to the show this week with our guest, Matt Cothron. Matt, better known by his online moniker, Uncle Chaps, is a successful (and humorous) blogger and podcast host. But, before that, he was a Marine, serving in combat as a bomb dog handler. In 2007 he was shot through the arm - an injury that would eventually contribute to medical retirement. Leading up to that event, he had been in over 40 fire fights and conducted over 100 raids in Iraq. His experiences in combat would ultimately contribute to a diagnosis of PTSD toward the end of his military career. In turn, his struggle with PTSD would lead to a very personal and regretful event in his life that he still pays the price for to this day. Hear about Matt Cothron's journey from Marine to successful career bringing humor and perspective to the masses, on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.getheadstrong.org Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.c

When you look back on Jason Redman's career as a Navy SEAL, two words stand out: warrior and leader. We've said it before - those words get thrown around rather loosely. But in Jason's case, they are terms he continues to embody, even after his career in the Navy was finished. In this episode, he talks about what it means to be a leader, and what it takes to continue to grow as one, constantly learning and refining knowledge, lessons, and experience. He also goes in-depth on what happened to him on the night of September 13, 2007, when the assault force he was leading came under heavy fire while hunting down an Al Qaeda HVI. Redman was injured badly, taking multiple rounds to his body and gear, and one devastating round to his face. Hear how he helped bring his men home alive that night; and how a hand-written sign he had hung on his door at Bethesda Naval Medical Center became the rallying cry for his recovery, and an inspiration to many others! Hear all of it on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.ja

We have another Special Guest this week, and an absolutely incredible story of one man's quest to survive under Saddam Hussein's rule as well as the insurgency that plagued his country months into Operation Iraqi Freedom. He still goes by his code name, Johnny Walker, and for years - including through Desert Storm and the 2003 U.S. invasion - he dreamed of a better life for himself and his family. He didn't see a future in Iraq, but rather one nested in the American Dream. Johnny Walker discovered a path to that dream when he started working as an interpreter, or "terp" as they're known on the battlefield, for Navy SEALS operating in his homeland against the insurgency vying for control. Hear Johnny talk about what life was like under Saddam, how he found purpose in working with U.S. forces, and how he eventually achieved his American Dream, in this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.codenamejohnnywalker.com | "Code Name: Johnny Walker"  Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizat

It was an absolute honor to have Marine, WWII vet, and Medal of Honor recipient, Hershel “Woody” Williams on the show! Woody Williams grew up in rural West Virginia, so far removed from urban centers that his family had no access to daily news sources. So, Woody’s family had virtually no access to information about the military, let alone the events leading up to WWII. But, eventually it was the Second World War that would act as the catalyst for Woody joining the Marine Corps. While fighting on Iwo Jima, Williams “displayed ‘valiant devotion to duty’ and service above self as he ‘enabled his company to reach its objective,’" earning him the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle. Woody received the Medal from President Truman at the White House on October 5, 1945. Williams is the last surviving Marine from WWII to wear the Medal of Honor. This is an incredible, inspiring edition of HAZARD GROUND you don’t want to miss! www.hwwmohf.org  Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to

Our Special Guest this week is Renee Nickell. Renee became a Gold Star Sibling when she lost her brother, Marine Major Samuel Griffith in combat on December 14, 2011 in Afghanistan. Renee was very close to Sam; in her eyes, he was her hero. Losing him was devastating. Six years after his death, she decided to honor and remember Sam by writing a memoir about him, with the hope that it would help her and others who had lost a sibling, find some peace in the process of healing. The book is "Always My Hero" and it's a tribute to Samuel Griffith. Renee shares with us her journey from losing her brother, writing the book, and finding a reason to be whole again on this very moving episode of HAZARD GROUND. www.reneenickell.com | "Always My Hero"  Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes!

This week, another legend in the Special Ops community joins us, as retired Colonel Lee Van Arsdale takes us through two pivotal operations for the storied 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta, more commonly known as Delta Force. Van Arsdale joined Delta Force in 1985, and spent 14 years leading some of the most elite soldiers history has ever seen. As a Major, he lead the Delta assault troop that captured Manual Noriega in Panama in 1989, personally restraining Noriega while he was taken into custody. Van Arsdale was involved with several other high impact missions throughout his career, the world will never know about; however, one other one rose to notoriety in the mid '90s. That was the Battle of Mogadishu - more commonly known as "Black Hawk Down." In this episode, we once again get a rare look at this battle - and new information about it, from a man who lead troops on the ground there. A West Point grad, Van Arsdale now works on the faculty staff at the Thayer Leader Development Group at W

There are many general officers in the U.S. military, but there are few who truly leave their mark on the organization after they have finished serving in its ranks. LTG (Ret) Michael Ferriter is one of those few. His commitment to not only serving his country, during multiple times of conflict, as a Ranger and beyond, along with his steadfast leadership have made the military a healthier and more lethal fighting force. LTG Ferriter is also responsible for bringing the Combatives Program to the Army. But, it's his thirty-plus years of service in uniform, and uncompromising sense of integrity, having lead soldiers from the elite 75th Ranger Regiment to taking care of military families as the commanding general of Installation Management Command that stand out as his greatest achievements. We were lucky enough to have him share with us his journey through the ranks and what he's doing now to continue to influence lives, on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.theferritergroup.com | www.nationalvmm.org  D

Scot Spooner is a modern-day warrior. He joined the Army at a young age, earned his Green Beret, and eventually earned a spot in the Army's elite Delta Force. He's trained for war, instructed others in its finer and deadlier points; fought in combat and survived when others around him were less fortunate, and returned home, seemingly unscathed. But, ultimately, injuries deeper than skin surface came to light. So Scot, in the truest sense of the term "warrior," sought healing while discovering a way to not just help himself, but help others, as he and his brother and business partner call it, "become more powerful humans." This is a very inspirational story about a man who experienced combat not just in war, but in his personal life as well. Scot's literally been tested by fire, and has come out of it a truly more powerful human. Hear his incredible story on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.ogfree.com  Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to w

This week we return to Afghanistan, 2002, and the Battle of Takur Ghar. Retired Army Master Sergeant and Ranger, Eric Stebner tells it from the perspective of leading Chalk 2 of his Quick Reaction Force up an over 10,000-foot mountain, under enemy mortar fire, to link up with his Platoon Leader’s chalk, which was already engaged with the enemy on top of the mountain. Stebner recounts the effort to climb 2000 feet, at a high altitude in the thin mountain air, and fight the battle to take back the high ground on top of Takur Ghar, and eventually recover the bodies of Navy SEAL Neil Roberts and USAF combat controller John Chapman. He and his chalk would eventually fight their way to securing Takur Ghar, but not until well over twelve hours after landing, and losing a total of five men, including Eric’s best friend, when it’s all said and done. Hear this moving account of combat and survival on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.myusvc.com/4vrrip.html  Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to ve

Shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Kevin Lacz left college to join the Navy with orders for SEAL training. He would go on to graduate with BUD/s Class 246, and eventually land with SEAL Team Three. By 2006, he was fighting in Ramadi, Iraq, working primarily as a sniper and medic. In 2008 he returned to Iraq, working again as a sniper, medic, and also breacher - SEAL certifications that made him the only member of his platoon qualified to participate in any operation the platoon planned. During his time in Iraq, Kevin also worked alongside American Sniper, Chris Kyle. Their close relationship led to Kevin working as a technical advisor, as well as playing himself, in Clint Eastwood's 2014 film, "American Sniper." Kevin talks about that experience as well as surviving combat, and losing not just teammates, but what it's like to lose a piece of yourself on the battlefield, in this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.huntingforhealing.org  Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veteran

She initially wanted to be an astronaut, jumping headfirst into the Civil Air Patrol program at a young age. But Annie Kleiman would end up taking a completely different path - one very unconventional within the ranks of the Air Force. She would ultimately try out for and be selected to deploy as part of a Cultural Support Team (CST) in 2012 in Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Regiment, as an Air Force Officer. The CSTs would place her and other women like her on direct combat missions, performing a vital function of Special Operations - interfacing with the local populace to enable and help form enduring relationships with the locals, specifically with village women, in support of counterinsurgency operations. Following her time with the CSTs, Annie would go on to become a Pat Tillman Scholar with the goal of contributing to future CST work on a larger scale as a civilian. Hear about her groundbreaking journey on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veteran

An absolutely powerful episode this week with the Executive Director of The Headstrong Project, Joe Quinn, on the heels of launching a new chapter in Atlanta. Joe was in his senior at West Point when his brother died in the north tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Joe believed he was in the best spot to enact revenge on the perpetrators of the attacks, and maybe have a chance to feel somewhat whole again, as he was soon to be commissioned in the Army, and would soon fight his enemies on foreign soil. Unfortunately, war opened his eyes to a new reality - one that couldn't extinguish the mental anguish of losing his brother, but also one where he witnessed his fellow soldiers struggling with the same mental distress. All of this led him to the work he's doing today to help other veterans in the most vital way, with The Headstrong Project. Hear about his journey on this very moving episode of HAZARD GROUND! www.getheadstrong.org Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans org

Following in the footsteps of immediate family, Duane France joined the Army prior to September 11, 2001. When the World Trade Center towers fell, France was stationed in Germany, away from the immediacy of GWOT planning, but ready to serve, wherever, and whenever. It would be a few years before he'd be "in the fight," but as with most people who served post-9/11, his time would come, with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan during some of the bloodiest times of both campaigns. His experiences during those deployments, along with witnessing the effects of war on his fellow soldiers, would eventually lead him to the mental health profession. Today, Duane France is retired from the Army, and serves as a mental health counselor for veterans in Colorado. Hear about his journey as NCO, teacher, and now provider for better soldier care on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.veteranmentalhealth.com | "Combat Vet Don't Mean Crazy" Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations a

He's now living his life not just for himself, but for those he served with on the battlefield who never made it home. One of those soldiers, in particular, died in an instant right next to him. On December 8, 2005, Adam Mattis was seriously injured when his vehicle was struck by an IED containing several explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) near Sadr City in Baghdad. The attack occurred just 28 days before Adam's tour in Iraq was scheduled to end. The officer riding next him was a good friend and someone he highly respected. Following his medical retirement from the Army, Adam lived through the highs and extremely low, low's of surviving such a traumatic experience in combat. Fortunately he found purpose again and has transformed himself into the successful entrepreneur, business and management leader he once was in the private sector before joining the Army. Hear this powerful and moving story on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! www.adammattis.com Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to ve

She went from performing in front of thousands of cheering fans in NFL stadiums, to executing one of the most vital missions in the Global War on Terror. Rachel Washburn was a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader before commissioning as a 2nd lieutenant in the Army. Her first assignment in the Army was to a Cultural Support Team (CST) in Afghanistan - a groundbreaking concept where women were embedded with Special Operations units in order to enable and help form enduring relationships with the local populace, specifically with village women, in support of counterinsurgency operations. Rachel shares with us her rewarding, and often dangerous, experience working as an integral part of a CST in combat, and the challenges she and her team faced breaking new ground for the military and working against a virtually invisible enemy. Check it out on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND! Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.com, click on the Amaz

Mike Frazier has one of the most interesting military backgrounds of any of our guests. He served in Iraq in 2003 as part of a Coast Guard tactical law enforcement team, in support of combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following a short stint in the Coast Guard, Frazier enlisted in the Army to become a crew chief. He would eventually earn a billet in the elite and highly specialized 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, more commonly known as the “Night Stalkers.” But, a back injury would bring his military career, and his time with the Night Stalkers, to a screeching halt. Mike loved serving in the 160th. The injury, compounded with the dark experiences of combat would lead Mike down a precarious path where suicide was the only form of relief. Fortunately, after hitting rock bottom, Mike found a reason to live, and just recently began opening up about his experiences. Hear about this moving journey on this week’s episode of HAZARD GROUND! www.shotatdawnproject.org Do your Amazon shopping

Imagine being shot through the chest by a sniper in Ramadi, Iraq in 2004, and surviving. Imagine completing a 4-year enlistment as an infantry Marine, surviving combat, and then going on to become one of the Army’s elite Green Berets. Now imagine finding out several years after surviving the sniper’s round, that you have terminal lung cancer that was misdiagnosed by the military, and there’s virtually nothing you can do about it. That’s the story of Rich Stayskal. Because the alleged misdiagnosis occurred while Stayskal was in the military, he cannot sue the federal government for malpractice, all due to an obscure 60-something-year-old law known as the Feres Doctrine. But, you can’t be a Marine and a Green Beret without being a fighter. And that’s exactly what Rich Stayskal is doing – fighting back, against cancer and the misdiagnosis. Hear how, on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND! www.feresdoctrine.com We also want to thank Rich’s attorney, Natalie Khawam, for joining us on this episode to provide the b

Author, journalist, and Marine Officer Philip Caputo served 16 months in Vietnam, landing in 1965 with the first ground combat unit deployed there. Caputo spent much of his time in Vietnam commanding an infantry platoon in fierce combat operations synonymous with the war. A few years later he would leave the Marine Corps and begin writing about his experiences in Vietnam. His memoir on the subject, “A Rumor of War” is a classic, and it wholeheartedly describes the savagery that war can so easily expose in normal, everyday human beings. The similarities between Caputo’s own experiences in war and those of today’s servicemembers who have survived combat are so apparent, yet so often forgotten. Philip Caputo is one of those rare individuals who has bridged the gap from warrior to writer, and eloquently shares with us the excessively important lessons of a war so many people have wanted to forget. And he does it here again on this very special episode of HAZARD GROUND! www.philipcaputo.com | “A Rumor of War”  Do