Our guest this week is one we like to call a special veteran guest. It isn’t necessarily a story of combat and survival in the traditional sense. But it is the story of a man who served his country in the Army, during the Cold War, and then went on to inspire millions through his career as a wrestler, and then as an Ultimate Fighting Champion and mixed martial artist. He is a six-time World Champion and Hall of Famer in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Outside the octagon, he’s also a successful...
Feb 12, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Marissa Strock joined the Army seeking a sense of direction in life. She knew the military and going to war would present challenges, but what she experienced on Thanksgiving Day 2005, was furthest from her mind when she signed on the dotted line with her recruiter a relatively short period before. On that day in 2005, Marissa, an MP, was the gunner in a Humvee as part of a convoy that was hit with a massive IED in “The Triangle of Death” near Baghdad. The explosion occurred nearly under her fee...
Feb 05, 2019•1 hr 14 min
Circumstances beyond his control brought him to the 75th Ranger Regiment. But once he made it in and earned the coveted scroll and beret, retired Sergeant First Class Jeremy Tindell found a home. So much so that he stayed in the Regiment after suffering a severe back injury in a training accident. Tindell retired from the Army after 13 combat deployments. And has now found a new passion as an active member of Merging Vets & Players – an organization designed to help both combat veterans and ...
Jan 29, 2019•1 hr 3 min
As we mark our 2-year anniversary, it is an honor and treasure to have retired Sergeant First Class and Green Beret, Michael Rodriguez on the show for our 100th episode! Rodriguez, his wife, and son are all combat veterans. Between the three of them they have 16 deployments, with Michael serving 9 of those in combat. He was medically retired after 21 years of service, and continues to serve to this day as as a member for President George W. Bush’s Military Service Initiative Advisory Council; an...
Jan 21, 2019•1 hr 19 min
Her job as a combat photographer was to chronicle war, combat, human strife, and disaster relief efforts among other significant moments in history. But over time it became a much, much more weighty task. One that she was passionate about executing, but one that would ultimately take a heavy toll on her body and mind. Stacy Pearsall is one of the most decorated combat photographers in the U.S. military’s history. During three combat tours, she earned the Bronze Star Medal and Air Force Commendat...
Jan 14, 2019•1 hr 13 min
We are extremely excited to have two very special guests on the show this week! On the heels of the premier of their new movie, “Sgt. Will Gardner” which hits select theaters, On Demand & Digital outlets January 11, 2019, actors Max Martini and Michael Hagerty join us to talk about the film, the importance of helping veterans when they come home from war, and war’s effect on the human condition. “Sgt. Will Gardner” tells the story of Iraq War veteran Will Gardner, played by Martini, who is s...
Jan 08, 2019•52 min
He had no intention of making the Air Force a career when he entered the service as a graduate of the San Diego State College ROTC program in 1957. But, Merrill “Tony” McPeak would go on to become the 14th Chief of Staff of the Air Force and retire as a 4-star general, closing out a career that included flying 269 combat missions in Vietnam and flying with the Air Force’s elite aerobatic team, the Thunderbirds. His experience in Vietnam is well-chronicled in the recent Ken Burns documentary, “Th...
Dec 31, 2018•56 min
Stuart “Stu” Steinberg has lived an adventurous life to say the least. Enlisting in the Army during the Vietnam War, he would eventually serve as an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialist from 1967-1971. During his 18 months in Vietnam, he would have one of the most dangerous jobs in the services, and his experience there would eventually paint the picture his recently published book, “This is What Hell Looks Like” so vividly describes. Following Vietnam, Steinberg would go on to earn his ...
Dec 17, 2018•1 hr 13 min
Col Kim Campbell's story is one of perseverance, and living proof that shutting down the urge to quit or give up, will ultimately lead to what others told you wasn’t possible. At a young age she set her sights on attending the U.S. Air Force Academy to ultimately put herself on a path to become an astronaut. Several "No's" and a few roadblocks later, Kim Campbell earned her way to becoming an A-10 pilot. And that "no-quit" attitude is exactly what she needed in probably her most jarring moment a...
Dec 10, 2018•1 hr 11 min
Feeling an obligation to serve his country and fight for those lost, especially the first responders, after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Dave Burton went into a Marine Corps recruiting office on 9/12. To his surprise, there wasn’t another person in line to sign up. He wasn’t dissuaded though, and he enlisted that day. He left for boot camp at the age of 25. Following boot camp and the School of Infantry, Burton first deployed to Iraq in 2003 as part of the initial invasion force. There he woul...
Dec 03, 2018•57 min
Anthony Swofford joined the Marine Corps in 1988, setting in motion a series of events that would put him on the front lines of the liberation of Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Storm, and eventually help launch his career as a writer and producer. He’s probably best known for writing the book, “Jarhead” – a very honest memoir of a Marine’s life on and off the battlefield. The book would eventually be released as a major motion picture under the same name in 2005, with Swofford being played b...
Nov 26, 2018•1 hr 11 min
In a matter of seconds Marine Cpl. Todd Nicely’s life was changed forever. After the blast and while he was flying through the air, he knew “they” had finally got him. On March 26, 2010, while leading his patrol back to base camp in Afghanistan, Cpl. Nicely stepped on a pressure plate mine. The blast almost instantly took all four of his limbs, forever changing how he would live his life, if he would live at all. Nicely would survive the blast, becoming a quadruple amputee, as well as an inspira...
Nov 19, 2018•53 min
Jim Reese spent a good part of his military career in 1st SFOD-Delta, and has been called "one of the finest special operators in the modern military” by the Commander of Coalition Forces of Iraq and Afghanistan. He played a pivotal role in the first stages of the Global War on Terror, right after September 11, 2001. His initial role was to bridge the gap between the Department of Defense and the CIA leading up to and through the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. And from there he was instrumental i...
Nov 12, 2018•1 hr 4 min
In this special Veterans Day edition of HAZARD GROUND, Mark talks with United War Veterans Council (UWVC) Executive Director, producer of the NYC Veterans Day Parade, and Marine veteran of the Panama Invasion and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Mark Otto. Otto only spent four years in the Marine Corps, but he packed a lot into those four years, playing a key role in two large military operations, among other special work. Following his time in the Marine Corps, he went on to become a regul...
Nov 05, 2018•57 min
Sometimes it’s the invisible wounds from war that are the most difficult to diagnose and treat. The indicators are subtle, if ever apparent. There’s more mystery than science, and the wounded are left with the burden of proof and most often hopeless for a cure. That’s exactly what happened to Carolyn Furdek. A former NCAA Division 1 swimmer, graduate of West Point, four-time Ironman athlete, and a seasoned combat veteran and leader with multiple combat deployments between Afghanistan and Iraq, F...
Oct 29, 2018•1 hr 6 min
Following in the footsteps of family members who had served before him, Zach Iscol earned his commission after graduating from Cornell University in 2001. He actually passed up a flight contract and joined the infantry so he could get to combat sooner, fearing he might miss the war while working his way through a lengthy flight school. In 2004, he eagerly volunteered to re-deploy to Iraq and fight in Fallujah shortly after returning from his initial combat deployment there. All of these actions ...
Oct 23, 2018•58 min
What an absolutely insane story we have for you this week! On April 21st, 2007, Joshua Mantz was shot and killed by a sniper in Iraq. The exceptionally large bullet that killed Josh initially passed through a senior NCO standing next to him, and then severed Josh's femoral artery. After losing a significant amount of blood, Josh was dead for a full 15 minutes before a military trauma team resuscitated him, bringing him back to life. Mantz’s journey from graduating West Point as an Infantry Plato...
Oct 15, 2018•1 hr 15 min
Steve Kiernan joined the Marine Corps when he was 17. He attended his high school graduation as a Marine fresh out of boot camp. The discipline and drive that the Marine Corps instilled in Steve are what ultimately got him through some of his darkest days – the by-product of becoming a Marine and heading off to war. Just a few weeks into his first tour in Iraq in 2008, Steve was walking point on a security patrol heading back to base in Fallujah when he was hit by an IED. The blast ended up taki...
Oct 08, 2018•1 hr 9 min
Despite the darkness of combat, there always seems to be moments of levity that surface from time to time. Paul Szoldra, whether he believes it or not, is a master at finding those moments. Whether it was Marine boot camp, or the unforgiving landscape of Afghanistan, Szoldra found humor to get him through the boredom, frustration, and nervous anticipation of combat. A near miss from an IED blast that most certainly would have taken his life, was all that was needed to make Szoldra all-too aware ...
Oct 01, 2018•1 hr 27 min
Retired Marine Staff Sgt. John Jones loved being a Marine. So much so that after the vehicle he was riding in was blown up by an IED in Iraq on January 3, 2005, one of his primary concerns was if he would be able to continue to serve in the Marine Corps. A twist of fate had put him in the target vehicle: he had made a last minute decision to switch into the vehicle that was hit, just prior to rolling out in his convoy. The blast from the anti-tank mine IED eventually took both of his legs. So hi...
Sep 28, 2018•1 hr 7 min
This week…Marine and bestselling author of “Echo in Ramadi,” Scott Huesing returns! Scott was first on the show before “Echo in Ramadi” was released (Ep. 50), and now he returns to pick up where he left off. This episode focuses on the human condition and the idea of human connection through war and the bonds of the military. It’s really what the book “Echo in Ramadi” is all about – the immeasurable strength of the human spirit! Check it out! www.echoinramadi.com | www.savethebrave.org | “Echo i...
Sep 17, 2018•53 min
What lengths would you go to, to change the world…to inspire others to change the world? Alex Evans, along with three other military veterans, is rowing a boat across the Atlantic Ocean to do just that. He’s part of the 1st all-American Military veteran team – aptly titled “Fight Oar Die” – that will race across the Atlantic Ocean in December 2018, in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge – a race that has challenged individuals and teams from around the world for years. Their goal is to incre...
Sep 10, 2018•1 hr 20 min
It’s hard to put into words the magnitude of Joe Getherall’s service to country from the time he enlisted in the Marine Corps to his retirement as a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. One thing is certain though, he embodies the qualities that every great leader should and needs to possess: selfless service, humility, mental-toughness, and courage under fire. He displayed those attributes during his three tours in Vietnam. Known as the “Iceman,” he was wounded three times during t...
Sep 03, 2018•40 min
Thinking he would go to college & follow a much different path, Alex Juedes ended up “dropping out” to follow in his father’s footsteps & become a Marine. He loved being a Marine in fact. But, on January 25, 2014, Alex Juedes was manning an MRAP gun turret in Afghanistan when an RPG slammed into the feed tray of his machine gun. Immediately, his right hand was gone and he was bleeding from shrapnel piercing his femoral artery. Alex made it out of Afghanistan alive though, but would never...
Aug 21, 2018•1 hr 35 min
If you’ve ever wondered what the power of the mind looks like, and you’re also looking for some inspiration, then this is the episode for you! John Timar is a former Navy SEAL, who is now the Chief Sales Officer for Kill Cliff, a leading clean hydration and sports nutrition brand for elite athletes. John is also a successful, long-time entrepreneur. As a young man he set his sights on becoming a Navy SEAL despite the many naysayers along the way. In this episode John takes us through the long, g...
Aug 13, 2018•1 hr 20 min
This week we step off the beaten path and cover an oft-forgotten operation, and the stellar career in special operations of Steve Dawson. Steve spent 25 years in the Army – most of those with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Special Forces. He spent the better part of his career as an operator with Delta Force. He also took part in the rescue operation of Kurt Muse, an American civilian living in Panama and held captive during Noriega’s rule in Panama in the late ’80s, also known as Operati...
Aug 06, 2018•46 min
On April 11, 2011 former Marine, Brian Aft stepped on an IED in Kajaki, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, while on a routine foot patrol. The blast ended up taking both of his legs, and ultimately leading him down a very dark path. He turned to hardcore drugs to numb the pain, and simply get through every day life as a double amputee. Then one day he was approached by former NFL linebacker, David Vobora in a parking lot. Vobora approached Brian with such enthusiasm that Aft thought the giant former...
Jul 30, 2018•55 min
Ryan Hepworth worked on some of the most intense trauma cases as an Army nurse. He knew he was going to experience those situations when he volunteered to work in combat trauma. A decision he says was based on a willingness to "know" the patients he was working on. Working in the combat hospital in Afghanistan brought him face-to-face with the worst that humans can do to one another in war. So much so that every time Ryan talks about his experiences in Afghanistan, his words take him back to the...
Jul 24, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Richard Prince fought in one of the most horrific battles of Vietnam, and one that often gets overlooked. The battle for Hue City during the Tet Offensive of 1968 was an all-out grudge match & street fight that lasted for several weeks. Prince found himself fighting in one of the most hellish engagements of the battle, below the Dong Ba Tower at the city’s imperial Citadel, where many Marines perished. During the fight, Prince was shot through the neck by a sniper, permanently damaging his v...
Jul 16, 2018•41 min
This week we return with another episode with the living legend, Mike Vining. Mike has taken part in so many unique missions as an Operator and EOD Technician. And we cover a handful of those in this week’s episode. From Vietnam to Presidential elections, to prison riots, to the bombing of Khobar Towers, Mike Vining brings you firsthand accounts of rare special missions, and some pretty intense moments on the ground and in the air. Check it out, on this Part II episode with Mike Vining! Support ...
Jul 09, 2018•57 min
