Surviving Me

  Aaron Quinonez, better known as Sgt. Q, is the Founder of Q Missions , an award-winning non-profit organization that helps veterans overcome the effects of war and recover from trauma. He leads the development of the Operation Pop Smoke app. Operation Pop Smoke is designed to be a platform used by veterans and those closest to them to help prevent suicide. Sgt. Q is also the owner of Reliable Co...

Stephanie Harmon is the Chairman of Utah Honor Flight . Utah Honor Flight works under the Honor Flight program where they help veterans visit war memorials built in their honor. She helps make sure all the papers are properly turned in and personally flies with the veterans to make sure everyone is safe and enjoys their trip. When she’s not flying with vets, Stephanie works as a tax accountant.  ...

  Joseph Duarte served in the Marine Corps for three years. He is the father of two sons, both of whom had joined the military to follow in their father’s footsteps. After serving 3 and a half years, his youngest son, Curtis, was deployed to Afghanistan as a Combat Engineer when an IED set off an explosion that collapsed a building, ending his life. Joseph later received a Gold Star as a form of r...

  Shawn Laurie is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and life purpose and recovery coach. He was a combat veteran for nine years, part of the National Guard, and did two tours in Afghanistan. He was injured during his second tour and had to spend two years in recovery. After being considered non-deployable due to his PTSD and anxiety diagnosis, he sought to find purpose outside of serving the...

Jason White has seen his share of combat - both on the battlefield and within. He served 10 years in the Marine Corps before medically retiring. Today, Jason leads the Florida chapter as the Chapter Director with the Birdwell Foundation , a non-profit organization that is on a mission to decrease and eliminate veteran and first responder suicide through peer-to-peer mentorship, resources, and netw...

  Mikel Brooks is a Purple Heart and Valor decorated Army veteran and the founder of We Are The 22 . We Are The 22 is an organization composed of veterans who have grown weary of losing more soldiers at home than they did in combat. He was involved in two combat tours, one of which he was injured, which ultimately led to his medical retirement. Mikel started the group because he experienced first-...

  Terry Laverty is a veteran Marine who volunteered to be deployed in Vietnam in 1970. Now, he’s serving the country in another way - by helping the veteran community and fighting for 22. Though the battles he fought in his younger days are vastly different from today’s, his goal remains the same: to band together and survive against all odds.   Terry joins me today to share his experience in part...

  Chrystal Verrengia-Bushnell is the Co-Founder and Vice President of 22 Until None , an organization on a mission to combat the veteran suicide statistic of 22-a-day - and bring it down to NONE. The organization hosts events and offers counseling and support to veterans with emergency financial aid and transitioning back into the life of a citizen. Chrystal was a former Department of Defense work...

  Rick Kolberg is a US Army veteran and father of two young boys. During his deployment in Iraq, he was involved in an ambush that forced them to be on the defensive for more than three hours. He also had a personal battle with a disease that almost made him take his own life. Despite his experiences, Rick chose to live on and serve his country in his own way after retirement.   Rick joins us toda...

  Raven Black helps veterans get their lives back after coming home from deployment. She took it upon herself to assist soldiers in coping with the chaos of society through volunteerism and by simply listening to what veterans have to say. Raven is actively advocating for mental health treatment as well as financial compensation to help them adjust to life faster and reduce the risk of depression-...

  Matt Dudley and Mike Lose are hosts of a reality series called Leatherneck Reconnect. Leatherneck Reconnect is dedicated to reconnecting with marine veterans and help them cope with life after service. They seek out those who need emotional assistance and old friends who just want to hang out with the people they served beside.   Matt and Mike join us today to discuss the Leatherneck Reconnect s...

  Josh Hansen is the co-founder of Continue Mission , a 501(c)(3) organization on a mission to help veterans battling service-related physical, mental, and emotional challenges. At 30-years-old, he enlisted in the Army after 9/11, serving two tours in Iraq. While in Iraq, he sustained 8 direct hits by IEDs, which resulted in multiple traumatic injuries. After returning home and battling his own da...

  John Goley has an extensive family history of military veterans, stemming back from the Spanish American War and World War II all the way through Vietnam. During his military career, he served in the Army during the Cold War as a U.S. Army Airborne Infantryman. His son served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, his daughter served in the National Guard, and his son-in-law served in OIF as well as Kuwait...

  Jim Tough, a.k.a. The Push-Up Guy, is a 14-year military veteran. Over the course of his career, he served 11 years as an Army infantryman and three years as a recruiter. In 2002, Jim suffered two heart attacks mere weeks apart, shortly before his tentative deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom I. Due to health concerns, he was considered non-deployable, serving the remainder of his military...

  Daniel Hall is a dog breeder that specializes in breeding service dogs, particularly service dogs skilled in helping veteran handlers combating PTSD and depression. He is a military veteran who has served in the National Guard between 2005 and 2007 as well as in active duty in 2010 through 2014.   Daniel joins us today to discuss what inspired him to breed and train service dogs to help the vete...

  Ben Valdez is a Marine Corps veteran. At a young age, he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a developmental disorder that affects his social and nonverbal communication skills.   Ben joins us today to share his story of joining the Marines, living with Asperger’s, and how he began living his own Hero’s Journey after leaving the military. He explains what Asperger’s is and why military life...

  Angela James enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17. She served her country in this branch until 1985 and has seen her share of combat and trauma. After leaving the Navy, she served 10 years as a police officer, serving her community, as well as ran two successful businesses. After the attack on the United States on September 11, 2001 and driven by the desire to ‘do something,’ she decided to re-enlist...

Adam Morgan is a 27-year Navy veteran. He has served 17 years as an enlisted serviceman before becoming a limited-duty officer. During his time in the military, he served 14 years on sea duty and has been deployed 9 times - 8 of which were served in the Persian Gulf region.   Adam joins us today to discuss how the responsibilities and challenges differ for enlisted servicemen vs. military officers...

Welcome to Surviving Me, with your hosts Don Costa and Shane Hakala. Surviving Me is a podcast dedicated to supporting the heroes that served our country, fought for our freedom, and continue to fight the hardest battle of all - the battle within.   In this episode, Don and Shane share who they are and why they are passionate about helping military veterans share their stories. They explain how ci...