Sofrep Radio

Cole Lyle is a former Marine who is now the Executive Director of Mission Roll Call, an advocacy group with the goal of changing policy using the direct voice of veterans. He shares his service as a diesel mechanic and his time in Southern Afghanistan where he learned to be a wrecker operator.   Upon his return, PTSD caused Cole's life to spiral out of control, leading to a close call with suicide. Surviving this ordeal, Cole leaned into his therapy through a service dog. He shares how transformative this experience was and today, with Mission Roll Call, he talks about the debt ceiling and how this catches veterans in the middle. Rad and Cole discuss the VA and what can be done to improve their service to veterans.    Learn more about Cole and Mission Roll Call: Website: https://www.missionrollcall.org/   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Lorraine is the President and CEO of America’s Warrior Partnership. He served for 22 years as an Air Force Officer and Flight Nurse. As a staff officer, he served as a Fellow to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and lastly as the Deputy Command Surgeon for USSOCOM. Jim is also the founding Director of the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition, a wounded warrior advocacy organization.   Jim shares about his wife's medical retirement which cut short her otherwise promising career in the military. Their experience finding care and the layers of challenges to this sparked Jim's advocacy for all wounded, ill, or injured SOF warriors. He talks about the continuity of care and how care should be available to all vets without all the unnecessary restrictions and red tape.    Learn more about Jim and America’s Warrior Partnership: Website: https://www.americaswarriorpartnership.org/   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Richard Stone is a retired Army Major General who served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the Army. He had also previously served as the Executive in Charge of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) with authority to perform the duties of the Under Secretary for Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.    In this role, Dr. Stone became the first official in this position in 30 years to have actual combat experience. He tells us how he needed to become a “calm pillar” during the chaos of COVID and how 70% of veterans have had combat experience, making them a unique group that must be advocated for.   There are a number of challenges in the VHA, including aging facilities that need to be redesigned for modern healthcare. Dr. Stone emphasizes the benefits of recreational therapy as an alternative to pharmaceutical treatment and he shares how much it alleviates the pain of vets when he helps them learn how to surf.      Get your copy of Save Every Life You Can: https://amzn.to/3Bnnnfe    See omnystudio.com/list

Alden Mills is a three-time Navy SEAL platoon commander, author of Unstoppable Teams and Be Unstoppable, and was the CEO of Perfect Fitness, one of the fastest-growing companies in America. He learned that even in an elite team like the SEALs, leadership is not a given and respect must be earned.    Alden shares about his transition to civilian life. It involved him adapting to a new set of values and culture, but his training in the military helped him set new goals and a mission plan to achieve them.    He talks about having 2 oars: passion and purpose. Without one, he would go around in circles, but with both, he has his north star. To be unstoppable, use your progress forward as the fuel that keeps you going with the next action, and then the next, and so on, until you reach your goals.    Learn more about Alden and the GoalBud App: Website: https://www.alden-mills.com/about GoalBud App: https://goalbud.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brigadier General Anthony Tata (US Army, Retired) performed the duties of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy under the Trump administration and is the author of Total Empire. He gives a fascinating insider's account of the possible motivations of President Putin on Ukraine in the wake of the disastrous US pullout in Afghanistan.   He talks about the great political divide in the US today, as well as his book Total Empire. The book is a Garrett Sinclair novel that tells the story of answering an unanswerable threat from China, but it also speaks to the human cost of combat and the stakes at hand when one pays the ultimate price.    Learn more about Tony and get Total Empire: https://amzn.to/3oVK4nu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dale Buckner is a 24-year Army yeteran who retired as a colonel, a former Green Beret and is now the CEO of international security firm Global Guardian. Recently, his team evacuated thousands of people during the COVID border crisis and the violent conflicts in Ukraine, Russia, and Afghanistan.    In this episode, Dale talks about the highly specialized yet dysfunctional nature of special forces teams. However, the training always pays off as there is a high degree of success whenever these teams are deployed. Dale also talks about reinventing yourself after life in the military, and his route was to create and become an entrepreneur.   The skills taught in the military cannot be replicated by corporate America, so Dale finds that veterans are highly suited for a range of careers once they retire. Dale also talks about the inevitability of politics when you are a general officer and how heartening it is to see his cohort, who are warriors first before politicians, get promoted to these ranks.     Work with Da

Ben Williams is a former Surface Warfare Officer who is now the COO of Exyn Technologies, an autonomous drone technology stack leading the industry in unstructured environment and GPS-denied navigation. He shares his first tour which was aboard the cruiser Bunker Hill and running with small boat teams for visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) missions.    Ben talks about the exciting tech they are developing today which aims to remove people from the most dangerous parts of their jobs to obtain the data they need. Aside from humanitarian applications, Ben's tech can help the military obtain quick and reliable data on environments to make decisions that minimize risk for soldiers.    Mentorship is another focus of Ben as he helps veterans utilize their unique skills for civilian life. Even riflemen, their skills are not limited to just carrying and shooting rifles. They do everything from maintenance to leadership and it is these skills that are valuable in civilian jobs.      Ben is an award-winning entrep

Bob Taylor is a former US Air Force Major who flew 11 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm as a B-52 navigator. He developed PTSD and has since written From Service to Success, a book that encourages vets to seek community, forgive themselves, and ultimately achieve their greatest potential.   In this episode, Bob shares the stresses of combat, from hostile AAA to a close friendly fire incident to the sheer exhaustion of flying extended missions. Even away from the horrors on the ground, Bob endured hellish nightmares that affected all aspects of his life. Bob then turned to alcohol as self-help for 16 long years. When he finally went to the VA to get professional help, he was then prescribed SSRIs for 13 years. Recently, Bob discovered experimental treatments that utilize MDMA and psilocybin for the treatment of PTSD. Bob shares how the ritual cleansing washed away the anxiety that had gripped him on a spiritual, emotional, and psychological level for decades.    Of the 22 million veterans, approxim

Tom Paquin served as a US Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot and attended the prestigious Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun). After 21 years of service, he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring from the reserves. Throughout his military career, Tom participated in several combat operations around the world and received numerous awards and honors, including the Air Medal and Joint Service Commendation Medal.   Justin Allen served for 10 years in the US Army and achieved the rank of Captain, serving both as an Infantry Officer and a Green Beret. He held various command positions, including serving as a Detachment Commander through two combat deployments to Afghanistan. He was a highly accomplished Green Beret, successfully graduating from Ranger School, Military Freefall School, and Combat Diver School.    Today, Tom and Justin work together at VictoryBase Corporation as CEO and Vice President of Development respectively. They share their business model of collective investing in a network of qualit

Douglas Lute is a former Army Lieutenant General and US ambassador to NATO. He is also featured in Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama on February 15th. As a young soldier, Douglas never imagined that he would be involved with international affairs.    He would eventually work under Gen. Hugh Shelton, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and experience firsthand the duties of flag-rank officers during 9/11. Douglas comments on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and emphasizes that beating Russia's blatant imperialist ambitions is simply the right thing to do.    Douglas recounts his time as an officer in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and gives an overview of his book. The transition between Presidents Bush and Obama was critical in setting the foundation for the incoming administration, tackling all sorts of societal issues like foreign policy, AIDS, and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.    Douglas currently serves as the CEO of Cambridge Global Advisors, LLC, a certified Se

Derek Leebaert is the author of Unlikely Heroes, an account of Pres. Roosevelt and his 4 closest associates: Harry Hopkins, Harold Ickes, Frances Perkins, and Henry Wallace, and how they would forever change the world. In many ways, history tends to repeat itself, and recognizing patterns of the past gives us the opportunity to shape a better future.   FDR was a titan. He was elected president for 4 terms and to this day remains the longest-serving president of the US. He was known for his fairness and desire for equality for all, an essential factor that got him the Republicans' vote every single time.   A look into his 4 lieutenants reveals much more about the myths that have plagued FDR’s presidencies since then. Derek talks about FDR's New Deal, the secret military build-up that happened in the 1930s, and how each lieutenant played a critical role in getting America through the mayhem of the time.    Derek Leebaert won the biennial 2020 Truman Book Award for Grand Improvisation. His previous books include

Mike Lahiff is a former Seal Team 4 operator and the Co-Founder and CEO of ZeroEyes, the only AI-based gun detection video analytics platform with US Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation. He shares how he was not the best student as he dropped out to enlist, but that becoming a SEAL was the realization of his childhood dream.    Mike talks about his deployments to Afghanistan and how his FoB was the most attacked FoB in country. He also recounts one time when the NATO forces he was working with ignored intel and ended up getting ambushed. Post-SEALs, Mike started ZeroEyes to monitor guns in the open rather than recognize faces and make the best use of cameras that are already in place to get people to safety.   Find out more about Mike and ZeroEyes in the link below:   Website: https://zeroeyes.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Hunter is the film critic of the Washington Post, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and the author behind Shooter. He talks about his latest book The Bullet Garden which features Earl Swagger undertaking a top-secret secret mission in the deadly German sniper-controlled hills of Normandy.    From creating a symphony of action, mystery, and intrigue, Stephen takes us through the creative process of his book and how Carlos Hathcock, an American sniper credited with 93 kills in WW2, is the inspiration behind Earl's character.    He gives an inside look into working with publishers and newsrooms and how getting historical details accurately is a constant effort in effective storytelling. Rad and Stephen also talk about their shared passion for airsoft and how these guns provide an accessible experience with otherwise exotic and expensive weapons.    Get a copy of Bullet Garden here: https://amzn.to/3DHBBJf  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff is a former Green Beret who served for 28 years and is the co-author of theBlack Autumn series of books. He talks about his books as a way to get peopleemergency preparedness-minded and how reality and fiction collide in the recentcartel violence seen in Mexico. Jeff shares how specialized nurse practitioners can be and the effectiveness oftourniquets in saving lives. He discusses one of his registered patents, the RATStourniquet, and how being in emergency services is all about helping your fellowman or woman in need. Also, with the crackdown on firearms-related content especially on YouTube, Jeffshares one of his projects called Juxxi, a video platform that he launched thatfocuses on guns and shooting clips. He also talks about the latest in Black Autumnand what avid fans can expect next. Get a copy of Jeff’s book: https://amzn.to/3GZqyMs Check out Juxxi: https://juxxi.com/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff is an Army special operations veteran, business leader, jiu-jitsu black belter, and author of All the War They Want. He is a highly decorated soldier having received two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, among many others.   He shares a war story during his first deployment about surviving an IED ambush and how sometimes breaking the rules is the only way to make it out alive. He also gives his point of view about eliminating anything unnecessary in an operation, a key lesson that he has carried over even to entrepreneurship, following your passion to really experience living, and being safe with your cyber and social media health.   Get a copy of All the War They Want:  https://amzn.to/3QDMbpM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeremy was a former USMC officer whose platoon served as the tip of the spear during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He recalls the intense training they had leading up to the invasion and the hurdles he had to get past like fighting at night instead of day. Jeremy also shares how his life after 10 years in the Marines was a total wreck. He decided to dedicate his life to working in ministry full-time. A decade after leaving the Marines, he reconnected with some of the guys he served with. Jeremy saw how lost they were and realized that his time serving with them did not end when he hung up his uniform for the last time.  He felt it his duty to equip his fellow soldiers with the tools to move forward. This became the catalyst for The Mighty Oaks Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit that works with veterans, active duty service members, and first responders to help them find their true north, deal with PTSD, and adjust to civilian life.      Find out more about Jeremy and the Mighty Oaks Foundation in the links below:

On this episode, Rad features JJ Wilson and James Boyd, both former Green Berets who have now transitioned to civilian life as entrepreneurs. After 911, both felt compelled to serve and decided to enlist. JJ Wilson joined the Army because everyone in his hometown ended up in jail or dead.  He met James Boyd, who gave up his British citizenship to join the Special Forces, at basic training in 2005. Fast forward, they co-founded Adyton, a startup bringing mobile technology to the Department of Defense. Every branch in the military uses their product Mustr which allows service members to use their phones as we all do in our everyday lives.  Mustr enables all service members or every rank to save countless hours of administrative work to identify service members in distress and make real-time, data-driven decisions to enhance operational readiness. Their app also helps thousands of trainees get coordinated during their Holiday Block Leave.  Connect with JJ and James and find out how veterans can contribute to the

On this week’s episode, Rad features John Winn Miller, award-winning investigative reporter, editor, publisher, screenwriter, indie movie producer, and novelist who wrote The Hunt for the Peggy C. He shares how a dream served as the inspiration for the book and the in-depth research he needed to do to get even the smallest details of U-boat operation correctly.    The book follows the story of Captain Jake Rogers of the tramp steamer Peggy C as he makes his way through U-boat infested waters to transport vital supplies and contraband to the highest bidder. When he witnesses the Jewish oppression in Amsterdam, he decides to take on his most dangerous cargo yet: a Jewish family fleeing Nazi persecution.   Get a copy of The Hunt for the Peggy C: https://amzn.to/3hQQi4E Find out more at: https://www.johnwinnmiller.com/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s special feature for Veteran's Day, Rad features David Bellavia, the sole Medal of Honor recipient for the Iraq war. He is recognized for his legendary heroism in Fallujah. Now living the war for the rest of his life, he felt it his duty to tell the story of brotherhood between him and his comrades in his book Remember the Ramrods.   He speaks about supporting veterans and the community's responsibility to exercise empathy. He is passionate about giving the rest of the Ramrods credit for their service and uses his award to raise veteran support awareness. He advocates for the mental health of veterans, including reigniting a sense of purpose in them.    Get your copy of Remember the Ramrods here: https://amzn.to/3UxOhsq    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s podcast, Rad features Vincent "Rocco" Vargas, a former Army Ranger who served 3 combat deployments with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Now in Hollywood, Rocco is known for Range 15, Mayans M.C., the MBest11x YouTube channel, and the Vinny Roc podcast.    He digs into the parallels between the military and acting and shares how he navigates his acting, writing, and producing career today. Rocco gets vulnerable and shares how he overcame his own personal obstacles with the determination to win.    Rocco also talks about the projects he's working on today like Beteran HQ and the nonprofit Heroes Sports which gives veterans another channel to find community and camaraderie.    Reach out to Rocco and support his initiatives for veterans in the links below:   Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/vincent.rocco.vargas/ Instagram (Heroes Sports): https://www.instagram.com/heroes_sports/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.