Operation Insight

Join us on Operation Insight as we welcome back Staff Sergeant Chris Munro of the U.S. Army for his return visit to the podcast!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (1:05:58) Part II (1:52:49) Lew Sanborn (1:57:07) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host veterans and brothers, Sergeant Justin and Specialist Greg Patterson of the U.S. Army and Missouri Army National Guard!   "Bad Touch", "The Shredder", "Fatty Patty", "Gerg", no matter what you call them, Justin and Greg Patterson make for a fun interview pair. Please enjoy this episode!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (50:20)...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Hospital Corpsman Second Class George Herrera and Kim Dunman, two founding members of the STL Veterans Ball!   In 2016, three leaders from different organizations convened for an AAR related to a veteran community-building event.  The conversations had during that meeting led to a survey which sought to gather information from veterans themselves. As fate wo...

Join us on Operation Insight for our special 100th episode commemorating the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 with Krista Salvatore!   (00:00) 100th Episode Prelude (03:33) Disclaimer (04:34) Introduction (24:23) Arriving in New York City (28:49) September 11th & The World Trade Center (1:02:13) The Next Day & the Aftermath (1:20:39) Flags of Valor (1:26:57) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Colonel Paul G. Dixon of the U.S. Army & Army Reserve!   In this episode, our guest traces his journey from a restless youth who had skipping school down to a science to his formative time in Basic Training at Fort Knox. Then, it was on to being assigned as an Armor Officer, and an unexpected turn towards Psychological Operations and multiple deployments...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Specialist Shanna Hughes-Collins of the Illinois Army National Guard!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (50:40) Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1:05:21) The Miraculous Story of the Dog & the Boy (1:15:42) Part II (2:08:38) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Commander Bob May of the U.S. Navy!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (39:46) Nuclear “Delivery” (47:24) Part II (1:16:24) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Lieutenant Colonel Fred Wellman of the U.S. Army and Army Reserve!   The Primary Election in the Great State of Missouri is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4th. While this program remains committed to neutrality and will never officially endorse a candidate, we do wish to present our audience with a special individual who just so happens to be running for Miss...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Colonel Sam Digirolamo of the U.S. Air Force & Missouri Air National Guard!   In April of 2023, back when the museum was still named "The St. Charles County Veterans Museum", a special Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day was hosted. The keynote speaker for that event was none other than Colonel Sam Digirolamo, USAF (Ret.). Sam was plain and frank about his...

Join us on Operation Insight as we celebrate Independence Day with World War II veteran Tom Lacey of the U.S. Army!   When our founding fathers signed and ratified the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, they made a bold stance against tyranny and oppression. They asserted, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator w...

Join us on Operation Insight as we celebrate our nation's semiquincentennial (250th Birthday) by hosting Missouri State Representative and Navy veteran Terri Violet!   As we celebrate 250 years of our nation's independence, we honor a connection to the very beginning of the American story and the leaders shaping its future today. Rep. Violet’s life is a masterclass in servant leadership, and her t...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Sergeant First Class Cheryl Rowland of the U.S. Army and Army Reserve!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (55:54) Building a Family & the Toll of PTSD (1:09:13) Part II (1:50:12) The NCOA (1:56:25) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Master Sergeant Kathy Nix of the U.S. Air Force & Air National Guard!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (38:54) Part II (56:21) Don't Ask, Don't Tell (1:16:03) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Petty Officer First Class Ken Carey of the U.S. Navy!   From a horse farm in Leonard, Michigan to the thunder of carrier flight decks, Ken’s story is precise, human, and unforgettable. We begin with family: great-uncles on the WWI battlefields, brothers and cousins in WWII and Korea, and a father who returned with a piece of shrapnel and a story that would b...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Airman First Class Cynthia McCrea of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and founder of Veteran Women of Influence!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (41:21) Part II (1:13:40) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Sergeant Teegan LeClair of the U.S. Army! (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (52:07) Part II (1:27:26) SALUTE (1:31:40) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Lieutenant Colonel Jim Craig of the U.S. Army!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (1:16:16) Waking Up to 9/11 in Hawaii (1:25:16) Part II (1:58:47) Blue Collar Colonels (2:06:28) The UMSL Veterans Center (2:17:30) “The Veterans Left Behind” & the Issue of Military Discharges (2:25:34) The GWOT Memorial (2:39:16) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host veteran couple, Paul & Sue McCool of the U.S. Air Force!   (00:00) Disclaimer (01:01) Opening Theme (01:30) Introduction (37:13) Vietnam & Maintaining Airmanship (1:01:40) Meeting Each Other (1:04:44) Life Together Begins (1:18:51) Finding Other Veterans (1:35:11) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host veteran couple, Nick & Carrie Schwartzkopf of the U.S. Navy!   They met by chance on a base, but their lives read like two converging novels of America — one threaded through mission fields and chapels, the other forged in the streets of Detroit. Nick and Carrie Schwartzkopf discuss their extraordinary shared life: a Marine who asked to be sent to Vietna...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Charley Wright (Founder), Matt Wilson (President), and Steve Siress (Coordinator) of LifeWaters!   The goal of LifeWaters has always been to provide training and scuba opportunities while trying to decrease the cost of training and travel for people with disabilities. Life with a disability is expensive, no matter how great your insurance or VA coverage. LW...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Sergeant John Lawrence & Sally Haywood, Co-coordinators of Team River Runner St. Louis!   This episode traces how a national adaptive paddling program founded at Walter Reed has grown into a life-changing community for veterans across the St. Louis region. Through stories that move from the vulnerability of the pool to the exhilaration of whitewater, lis...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Gold Star Father Mark Schmitz, whose son, Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, was killed in the Abbey Gate Bombing on August 26th, 2021.   Monday, May 25th, marks this year's Memorial Day. Americans all across this great nation will commemorate loved ones lost in service to our country and honor their sacrifices. This Memorial Day, we remember one such hero: LCpl...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Airman First Class Art Minor of the U.S. Air Force!   For as much time as Art spent in and around airports, one might think he would seek out a career in Aviation. In fact, Art did decide to join the Air Force, perhaps as a way to finally realize that dream. But no. In fact, Art would have even less to do with Aviation as an Airman than he had as a civilian....

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Master Sergeant Rebecca Tallman of the U.S. Air Force and Traveling Executive Director of the Veterans Community Project!   In this episode, Rebecca guides us through the places that formed her: El Sobrante and San Pablo, a childhood threaded with family military service and the sudden loss of a beloved brother, and the poor choices that drove a young woman...

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Sergeant First Class Diane Cole Phipps of the U.S. Army! In this episode, SFC Diane Cole Phipps takes us on a journey through family, service, and a career that sat at the intersection of history and humanity. Born and raised in St. Louis with a Southern family legacy, Diane’s story begins amid motorcycles, hard work, and a household where the rules were cle...