The Oath of Enlistment is something all branches of the military have in common. In this special Veterans Day episode, we invited service members and their families to share their thoughts on what the oath means in their lives. Those who share their feelings are:Tracy Brinkman, Carl Churchill, Lloyd Hicken, Thea Jorgensen, David Buffaloe, Sofia Olds, Jody Hanks, and David Hollingsworth. The Oath is more than a promise to most service members, and the commitment made doesn't end when they leave m...
Nov 11, 2020•14 min•Season 2Ep. 9
David Hollingsworth joined the U.S. Army to get away from a broken heart. But in 1982, there wasn't much "going on" in the military. Still, it was serving in a time of peace that he learned life lessons that still resonate in his life. One of the things he learned as an MP is that there is always a job to be done - even if it's not the job you expect to be doing. This would become more important later in life when a motorcycle accident would change his life. Read more from David here, and get in...
Oct 22, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 7
When Tracy Brinkmann joined the US Army he knew he was carrying on a legacy that started with his grandfather serving in the German Army during WWII. In spite of learning at a young age of the traumatic experiences that both his grandfather and father had, he still wanted to serve and follow their example. See our website for privacy information.
Sep 30, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Thea Jorgensen was a little older than her fellow soldiers in Basic Training, being almost 10 years older than most recruits, and because of that, she felt she had a lot to prove. That desire to outwork those around her has persisted. Serving in the Public Relation field has given her the chance to meet the family members of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. On top of all of that she is also a business owner, the pandemic has introduced new challenges, but she is always willing to give...
Sep 24, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Retired Chief Master Sergeant Jody Hanks always saw himself as a non-conformist, but that didn’t stop him from joining the AirForce and making a career out of it. Over the years he learned that real leadership takes leaders that are willing to say what some might not have the courage to say and listening to those you have responsibility for. Serving at Keeler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina introduced unique challenges trying to help not only rebuild the infrastructure but mor...
Sep 16, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 4
On September 11, 2001 terrorists hijacked four U.S. passenger planes, flying two of them into the World Trade Towers in Manhattan and another into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania, when passengers overpowered the hijackers, ensuring it didn't make it to its intended target. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the Sept. 11th attacks. Social Media is being flooded with messages that we should never forget this day. For this special episode I wante...
Sep 11, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 3
To look at Sofia Olds you wouldn’t think she was a Staff Sergeant in the US Army Reserves or the mother of seven beautiful children. But it wouldn’t be the first time she shattered preconceived notions about who she is or what she is capable of accomplishing. She's spent her life surpassing expectations. In this episode, SSgt Sofia Olds talks about the influence the military has had on her life, from deploying to Iraq with her husband to how it helps as she raises her children. And check out Sof...
Sep 10, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Isolation is an issue I have experienced first-hand as a veteran who lives with depression and PTSD, as a result of military service. I've battled that by creating connections through service organizations that help veterans reconnect to their purpose and community. Now all of us find ourselves in a situation where we are isolated. So how have these organizations adjusted their mission of helping and supporting veterans when so many aspects of what they have offered is unavailable in many places...
Sep 10, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 1
David Moss started his military career in the Idaho Army National Guard and wanted to serve until he could retire. Always outspoken, Dave had a run in a 1st Sergeant and ended his career after 10 years of service. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Dave wanted to serve in the military again, but he knew this time it would be as an officer. Dave served in Iraq and after returning home got a job as an active guard member in Alaska. However once again his dream of serving until reti...
Dec 11, 2019•33 min
When an opportunity to capture a historical parachute jump into Normandy on the 75th anniversary, Utah filmmaker Zane O'Gwin knew he wanted to be part of it. He quickly learned there was more to the story than the decision of a group of veterans to try and honor World War II veterans who parachuted into France as part of the Normandy invasion by the allied troops. From telling the story of a Gold Star mom to the many others that each participated for their own reasons, Zane and his team capture ...
Dec 03, 2019•36 min
Growing up Casey Talbot always thought he'd be an Idaho dairy farmer, even though he also dreamed about serving his country as a soldier. After going to school to study veterinary medicine he got a job in Fairgrove, Missouri, where a colleague was preparing to leave on an Army deployment. Shortly after that, circumstances in his life allowed the father of five to reconsider military service. He joined the Army and has had the chance to work with the Army's working dogs, as well as a number of ot...
Nov 25, 2019•32 min
As a newlywed in 1968, the last thing Jean Donaldson expected was for her husband of five months to come home from a trip to Salt Lake City with news that he was leaving college to join the U.S. Marine Corps. She was five months pregnant with their first child (who happens to be Loudmouth's own Amy Donaldson) when he enlisted, and she delivered their second child as he slept in field in Vietnam on Christmas Eve 1969. She talks about how the Marines gave her husband, Dan, purpose and direction, a...
Nov 18, 2019•33 min
The Oath of Enlistment is something all branches of the military have in common. In this special Veterans Day episode, we invited service members and their families to share their thoughts on what the oath means in their lives. Those who share their feelings are: Keimon Dixson, Krista Palmer, Josh Hanson, Marcy Henly, Ninzel Rassmuson, Layne Morris, Maj. Gen. Stacey Hawkins, Fred Tapia, Dan Bucio, Arlo Doyle, and Amy Alleman. The Oath is more than a promise to most service members, and the commi...
Nov 11, 2019•17 min
Sgt. Mike Hendry joined the U.S. Army after deciding college wasn't the path for him. He gravitated to the grittiest assignments and found purpose alongside his brothers in the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Division (light infantry) for "six years and 16 weeks to the day." He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan in two different deployments, and in this episode he talks about serving in Iraq and how his service transformed the man he is today. See our website for privacy information....
Nov 05, 2019•38 min
Ninzel Rasmuson's desire to serve her brothers and sisters in the Armed Forces didn't end when her service in the Air National Guard ended. In this episode, she talks about the impacts of working as a mishap investigator, having sons that serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, and starting a nonprofit (Honor365) that helps veterans navigate the labyrinth of service providers and non-profits as they try to adjust to life after military service. For more information on her organization, visit https://hon...
Aug 19, 2019•44 min
Homeless and broke, Marcy Hehnly decided to meet with an Army recruiter when she was 20-years old. Four years earlier, she'd lost her mother to cancer, which led to struggles with her father as they both tried to rebuild their lives. It was a decision that not only changed her life, but it showed her the value of service and created a family structure that shaped her career decisions and sustains her emotionally today. After leaving the Army, she became a police officer, and then after that, she...
Aug 15, 2019•29 min
On this episode of We Happy Few Amy Donaldson and Jason Comstock visit with WWII veteran SSgt Stanley Nance and his great granddaughter Madeline about his service and the secret she recently learned. SSgt Nance served in a unit during the war the German High Command dubbed the Ghost Army. His war experience was classified until 1996. The one time he shared it with his daughter she didn't believe him, and he never told his wife what he did during the war. SSgt Nance is another example ordinary me...
Aug 05, 2019•52 min
In this episode, Jason Comstock talks with Daniel and Angie Bucio about his service in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Dan immigrated to the United States from Mexico after his family learned that his grandfather was a U.S. citizen and had served in World War II. Like many Americans, Dan felt a desire to serve his adopted homeland after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He's served all over the world, but his first deployment came in 2014 when he was deployed to Northern Africa, with responsibili...
Jul 30, 2019•42 min
In this episode, Amy Donaldson talks Kelli Pacheco about joining the U.S. Marine Corps, being in the second groups of women to participate in the Crucible - a test recruits must endure after they join. Although she wanted to fly, she ended up going into a computer field. Kelli struggled when she had a child, and had to make the difficult decision to leave her daughter in daycare for long stretches of the day or rely on her family back in Utah to help raise her. Medical issues forced her to leave...
Jul 22, 2019•28 min
In this episode, host Jason Comstock has a conversation with his children about how his military service impacted them. When Comstock was deployed (2004), David was 11, and Mason was 8 - and they had three sisters - who all had to deal with their father being sent to combat. They discuss why they felt angry and lost, where they found hope, and what advice they'd give to parents thinking of joining the military. They discuss how they saw their father's return as something that would help them fin...
Jul 15, 2019•27 min
In this episode, John Ellis shares what he is doing to prepare his children for his upcoming deployment. John serves in the Air Force Reserves and this will be his first deployment. With young children at home, a large part of his own preparation is helping his children understand why Dad will be gone for some time. Additionally, he has to deal with a lot of difficult subjects, including making sure his will is in order and that his finances are manageable for his family. His choice to serve cos...
Jul 09, 2019•25 min
This episode features a conversation I've wanted to have all my life. I was raised by a Vietnam Veteran - a Marine. Throughout my childhood, pieces of my father's service manifest in what he said, what he believed and sometimes in how he treated us. I learned the Marines' Hymn and understood my dad's political beliefs very well by the time I was in elementary school. Throughout the years, I've asked him about his service, about being wounded, why he volunteered and how it changed who he became, ...
Jul 01, 2019•1 hr 21 min
In this episode of We Happy Few, Jason Comstock and Amy Donaldson speak with Army veteran Layne Morris and his wife Leisl about the impact of military service on the family, especially the spouse. Layne shares his experience of serving in Afghanistan at the beginning of the war on terror, being wounded and dealing with the recovery processes from returning to civilian life to reestablishing his place at home as a husband and father. See our website for privacy information.
Jun 20, 2019•1 hr 7 min
In this episode Dan Paget, veteran US Army Tanker, talks about the lessons he learned while serving in the military. He shares how leaders had an impact on his life, not only while he served but long after his military service ended. In spite of being diagnosed with a condition called alexithymia that makes it difficult for him to relate emotionally or make social attachments, he credits the Army with saving his life and acknowledges that if he hadn't made the decision to serve, he wouldn't have...
Jun 12, 2019•44 min
Story Notes - In this episode, Levi Lee tells how serving in the Army helped him take control of his career. He discusses how serving as an intelligence analyst boosted his career and helped him feel like he was protecting his fellow soldiers, including his brother, who served in the Marine Corps. He completed his mission with accomplishments and a new world view. See our website for privacy information.
Jun 03, 2019•33 min
In this episode, Sgt. Josh Hansen talks about the purpose he felt working to keep his fellow soldiers safe as he cleared explosive devices from roadways as they traveled throughout Iraq. After being wounded and leaving the Army, he realized his responsibility to the men and women with whom he'd served never ended. He found a new way to help protect and serve by starting a charity that helps veterans find new purpose and camaraderie. Continue Mission helps veterans and their families for free thr...
May 27, 2019•46 min
In this episode, 20-year-old Kimono Dixson shares his excitement about becoming a United States Marine at age 18. He talks about what he learned from deployments to the Philippines and Guantanamo Bay, and how he enjoyed seeing the world and being part of something larger than himself. But he also suffered harassment and was ostracized for being an openly bi-sexual black Mormon. See our website for privacy information.
May 20, 2019•38 min
In this episode Jason Comstock and Amy Donaldson talk to Retired Sergeant 1st Class Arlo Doyle about his military career, the impact of multiple deployments, and a long-running joke that nearly became reality. Just days before Arlo was scheduled to return home from his fourth deployment, an attack left him with a traumatic brain injury. He talks about regaining his life and the perspective services has given him. See our website for privacy information.
May 14, 2019•41 min
In this episode Krista Palmer shares her dream of helping others by joining the Air Force with host Tom Luoma. Krista found great joy and satisfaction serving in security forces. Sadly, like an estimated 25% of her fellow female service members, Krista was sexually assaulted; and like so many, no one listened or did anything to help. As a female soldier, she deal with many issues, her male counterparts never even considered. As a result of the assault and a back injury, her military career ended...
May 06, 2019•32 min
In this episode, Amy Donaldson talks with Army Captain (soon-to-be Major) Chris Fogt about why he joined the military, what it was like to be competing as an Olympic bobsledder for Team USA when the men he trained with were deployed to Iraq, and why he left the sport after the 2010 Games to serve a year in Iraq. Fogt talks about what it was like to represent his country in two Olympic Games, and how it felt to finally earn an Olympic medal in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. We caught up ...
Apr 29, 2019•24 min
