#731 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew; 3 Sep 2026

#731 FireSide Chat w/ the Crew — 3 Sep 2026 Sometimes the best conversations are the ones that don’t go according to plan. Tonight’s FireSide Chat was originally scheduled to feature Trunnis Goggins of the 4Ps Podcast, but a delayed flight kept Trunnis from joining us. We heard from him during the show, and we’ll be getting him rescheduled for a future FireSide Chat. Instead, AJ Cox, Mike McNany, and Mark O’Loughlin did what the FireSide Chat crew does best—sat down, talked, laughed, and let the conversation go wherever it needed to go. The crew talked about everything from the heat in Georgia and the price of gas in California to life aboard ship and what Marines actually do during long deployments at sea. Mark shared his experience from more than four years of sea time, including the constant training, physical fitness, weapons maintenance, cross-training, and the challenge of keeping Marines engaged during extended time aboard ship. The conversation also turned toward life after the military, including work-life balance, continuing your education, using the GI Bill, making yourself more marketable in the civilian workforce, and continuing to grow after taking off the uniform. AJ also previewed some things coming up on The Lost Art Project, including the next FireSide Chat discussion on brotherhood and sisterhood after military service and the upcoming Jarhead Jabber Q&A. And, as always, there was plenty of good-natured trash talk and laughter mixed in along the way. Mike closed the evening with a simple but powerful thought on teamwork: “None of us is as smart as all of us.” That pretty well summed up the night. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and whether we’re serving in uniform or navigating life afterward, we’re better when we have good people around us. On the show: 🎙️ Andrew “AJ” Cox — Host 🎙️ Mike McNany — FireSide Chat Crew 🎙️ Mark O’Loughlin — FireSide Chat Crew The Lost Art Project: Veterans’ Voices Collect • Preserve • Educate • Inspire Preserving Voices. Protecting Legacies.