American Warrior Radio

We discuss the critical role played by the National Guard and Reserves with retired Arizona Air National Guard Commander Major General Ted Maxwell.

During the Vietnam War, Major Robert Lodge was the foremost expert on "Combat Tree". The top secret program gave our fighters and advantage over the North Vietnamese MIGs. After his aircraft was disabled in an aerial dogfight, Lodge told his weapons officer to eject. Knowing his own capture on potential revelation of the top secret knowledge he kept could endanger others, Lodge went down with his plane.His friend and fellow Vietnam combat pilot Leonard "Lucky" Eckman is working to have Lodge awared the Medal of Honor.

During post partum depression, Lt. Col. Angelina Stephens began experiencing suicidal ideations. Despite potential risks to her career, she went very public with her story in order to help others.

Charles Faint joins us for another interesting discussion of topics featured on the Havok Journal.

Producer Chris Meek and Director Michael Gier join us to discuss a new 9/11 documentary set to release on the 25th Anniversary of the attacks.

Major General (US Army Retired) Clayton Hutmacher served in the Army for forty years - much of it in the Special Operations Community.He now leads the Special Operations Warrior Foundation which provides support for Spec. Ops families who have a loved one killed or severely injured.

After 14 months in the jungles of Vietnam, Dennis Nickel had a difficult time adjusting; drugs, alchohol and violent outburst plagued his life before PTSD was officially recognized. He and his wife Diana had their bumps and bruises for 40 years before unconditional love put them on a new path,

James R. Lyda served in our Air Force for 30 years and was a Wing Command Chief twice. During his last assignment before retirement he was responsible for 55,000 personnel.After retirement he founded Guidon Leadership - a full service firm that helps companies develop better leaders, managers and people.

The HBO Film "Taking Chance" chronicles Lt. Col. Michael Strobl's experiences while escorting the remains of Private Chance Phelps to his hometown. It was once of HBO's most watched original films and received numerous awards. Mike Strobl joins us to share his first hand account.

Scott Neil was a member of one of the special Green Beret units inserted behind enemy lines in Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks. He and a couple of friends created "Horse Soldier" bourbon to honor the legacy of the men who rode into battle on horse back against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The after effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the subject of an interesting documentary co-produced by Kelly and Tanabe. Their predecessors fought on opposite sides during WWII. "Atomic Echoes" features interviews with Japanese bombing survivors and US military members who entered the zones shortly after the bombings.

Quang Pham and most of his family escaped Vietnam just before the fall of Saigon. He would go on to be the first American of Vietnamese descent to become a Marine Corps Aviator and the first to take and IPO public on NASDAQ.

Carlos Ruiz is the 20th person to hold the title of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. We talk leadership, motivation and what makes Marines different.

Peter Singer is nationally recognized as on of the premier futurists in the national-security environment. We discuss was future wars may look like.

Ayman Kafel has more than 20 years serving in the military and law enforcement. After founding Project Sapient, he has been researching the various sciences that can better help law enforcement officers deal with the stress and trauma of their profession.

HER Campaign Co-Founder Britney Higgs and retired DEA agent Stacy Zinn talk about the scourge of human trafficking in the US and what the HER campaign does to help victims safely transition.

It has been considered by many to be our US Marine Corps greatest peacetime loss of life. But many have never heard of it.  Chas Henry joins us to describe the Fuji Fire that took place on Oct. 19, 1979.

Paratrooper Andrew Bragg wrote "The Devil's Playground" as a tribute to his comrades from Charlie Company’s 2nd Platoon and their 2009-2010 deployment to the Arghandab River valley in Afghanistan. His platoon would suffer 50% casualties and 6 KIA during the deployment.

Major League broadcaster and Vietnam Veteran Bill Brown has written an excellent book called “Wartime Athletes; Stories of Sports Stars Who Joined the US Team.”  He shares some compelling and inspiring stories.

"Grit To Glory" recounts Green Beret Darrell Utt's journey from the back woods of West Virginia to his leadership role with ODA 043 in Baghdad during some of the most intense fighting.

On this episode we talk with two organizations in the farming battlespace. Farm 2 Veteran uses a network of farms in 9 states to provide healthy, quality food to Veterans experiencing food instability.The Land At Home Project has a mission to train Veterans to get involved in sustainable agriculture.

Erik Knowles quickly discovered that the Marine Corps is no place for a jokester. He now uses comedy as a way to help other Veterans deal with their trauma.

Dave Chamberlain served a combined 38 years in the US Air Force and Air National Guard. We discuss some interesting insgights from some of his Havok Journal articles, including why he feels the current command structure in our military is outmoded.

Ethan Brown served as an Air Force Tactical Air Control Party specialists for 11 years and was deployed six times to various combat zones.He shares how this role and technology have changed the way we do battle.

Robert Boyd served with the New York Police Department for 35 years - his last four as Chief of Detectives.  He now hosts "New York Homicide" which airs Saturday evenings on the Oxygen Channel True Crime Network.

"The Houdini Club" describes the formation of the 1st, 3rd & 4th Ranger battalions during WWII and follows their combat through North Africa, Sicily and eventually Italy, where two of the three battalions were wiped out by the Germans.Mir served with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Mir has written numerous books on military history and co-wrote and produced the award-winning independent motion picture "Soldier of God".

Actor, musician and humanitarian Gary Sinise returns to American Warrior Radio to provide updates on his Foundation's programming in support of military and first responder families.We also discuss Gary's son Mac who lost his battle against a rare form of cancer in 2024. Mac was a very talented composer and musician and he left his music behind as a legacy for all of us to enjoy. All proceeds from sales of the "Resurrection and Revival" albums benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation's programs.

The story of how the venerable Jeep came to be is an intriguing one full of twists and turns. The company that actually produced the first Jeep was NOT who many people would think. Paul Bruno is the foremost expert on the development of the Jeep.

The Modern War Institute is a program at West Point that provides an astounding amont of research via publications, podcasts and special events.

CIA linguist David Tyson was a member of "Team Alpha", one of the first group of Americans inserted into Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks. He would be embroiled in the uprising at Qala-i-Jangi prison during which CIA paramilitary officer Mike Spann would become the first American killed in Afghanistan.

Commander Brian Wierzbiki, Chief of Public Engagment for the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration joins us to discuss how they are supporting events all across the US in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

"Brothers After War" is a documentary by Jake Radenmacher. In the film he checks back in with several of the service members he was embedded with for this "Brothers At War" award winning documentary. I highly recommend both Veterans and civilians watch this film. There is healing here...

Navy Veteran and tax law attorney Hubert Johnson shares tips for military members and Veteran entreprenuers.

When Coast Guard reservist KC Aud is not doing "water cop stuff" he writes for the Havok Journal. We explore insights from some of this articles.

Holiday Separations – Col. Jose CabreraHoliday 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 category. Col. Jose Cabrera, Commander of the 563rd Rescue Group, joins us to discuss holiday separations and some suggestions to make it easier on military families.Col. Cabrera has served our nation for over two decades, most of it with the Pararescue forces. The units under his command include an HJ-130J rescue squadron, two HH-60G rescue squadrons, three Guardian Angel rescue squadrons and an Operations Support squadron. Col. Cabrera shares some details about the nature of the Pararescue mission and the training required to join these elite forces and fulfill their motto “These things we do that others may live.”Separated families can experience stress, depression, guilt and even anger. Witnessing the realities of war can also cause mental health issues that impact families as well. For this reason, Pararescue forces embed chaplains with all deployed units. Col. Cabrera emphasized that reintegration also presents challenges when military members have been apart from their family for so long and miss important milestones.We discuss several suggestions for military families. These include pre-recording some of the children’s favorite bedtime stories, establishing new “traditions” that incorporate the separation and getting out of the house for new experiences and socializing as a family. In the tight knit Pararescue community, new spouses are prepared for the challenges of deployment by unit spouses with a bit more experience under their belts. TAKEAWAY: “The first deployment is probably the toughest deployment for a family. You do get used to it over time but it is NEVER easy.”

Green Beret Foundation – Anna RichardsonGreen 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 Beret spouse.Green Berets sustain one of the highest casualty rates in the Special Forces. Anna emphasizes something unique about their mission in that they could be providing education or building communities on one day and fighting the next.The GBF takes extra precautions to assure that recipients of their support did indeed serve in the Army Special Forces.  Many of their emergency and casualty support requests come directly from US Special Operations Command. Their programs are also available for pre 9/11 Veterans. Anna says that many of the support requests they are currently receiving come from post 9/11 Veterans who need help navigating their benefits. Request for support links may be found at their website.We also discuss some of their health and wellness support programs including funding for special treatments that are not covered by soldier’s insurance.Collaboration is one of the core values of the GBF. For example, their emergency support packs include backpacks provided by GORUCK, a company founded by a former Green Beret. Their website also lists numerous “gifts that give back” links.Anna is also active with the “Steel Mags” support group. The chapters consist of Green Beret mothers, spouses and daughters.  They consider themselves the “keepers of the brave.”TAKEAWAY: “You do not have to know exactly what you need. That’s our job. I know the questions you should be asking even if you don’t.”

Rick Kaiser served with SEAL Team 2 adn SEAL Team 6. He currently serves as the Executive Director of National Navy SEAL Museum. He is the author of "Frogmen Stories; Life and Leadership Lessons from the SEAL Teams".

Karen Worcester is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Wreaths Across America. This year they will lay more than 3 millions fresh wreaths at the graves of Veterans in more than 4,000 locations.

Alex Underwood became the African-American enlisted man to complete 100 missions over Vietnam. One of those missions would earn him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Havok Journal owner Charles Faint provides an update on things at Havok Journal. Havok Journal is my "go to" website for all things military and first responder. www.havokjournal.com

Vice Admiral John Bird serves as Senior Vice President of Military Affairs at USAA. He shares his thoughts on Veterans Day.

Brandon Caserta dreamed of being a Navy SEAL. A series of tragic events led to him taking his own life. He parents join us to discuss how their son's death led legislation to help military members like Brandon.

"Peppy" Sciarra spent five months fighting in the jungles of the Philippines. His unit captured 47 mountain ridges from 100,000 Japanes. 

Even though he never served, Bob Willis organizes annual events that allow Veterans to tell their stories. He feels strongly that these stories need to be shared with younger generations. 

Accomplished actors Julia Ling (Navy) and Hiram Murray (USMC) joins us to share the mission of Veteran Powered Films; to empower Veterans and service members to create and tell their stories through film.

A-10 pilot Andrea Kniep became the third woman assigned to fly the A-10. She would be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice on two consecutive days for missions over Afghanistan.

"The Wingmen" tells the amaing story of the unusual but unbreakable bond between two American Heroes and Korean War Veterans; Baseball legend Ted Williams and Astronaut John Glenn. Author Adam Lazarus joins us.

Drago Dzieran grew up under the heel of the Polish communist regime. Folowing his arrest for his involvement in underground anti-government activities, he applied for political asylum in the US. After arriving in American with a bag of clothes and 10 cents in his pocket, he would go on to become a US Navy SEAL. A true American Patriot shares his story.

Tom Kubiniec founded SecureIt - the largest supplier of weapons storage components to the US Military.