The Field Op

What happens when your teenage son keeps acting up while you’re stationed halfway around the world? You bring him to Japan and give him a taste of Marine Corps life! Back in 2011, that’s exactly what I did. But what started as punishment turned into something neither one of us expected. On this episode of The Field Op Podcast, I’m sharing a personal story about fatherhood, discipline, military lif...

THE WAR DOESN’T END WHEN YOU COME HOME You served. You deployed. You came home. But did everything really go back to normal? For many veterans, the toughest battles aren’t always fought overseas. Sometimes they begin when the uniform comes off and civilian life takes over. This week on The Field Op Podcast, we’re talking about the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life. The los...

The Field Op Podcast | Special Guest: Sgt. Eddie Reyes, USMC Veteran In 2003, Marines from the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, known as the Iron Horse Marines, deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This week, I’m joined by a fellow Marine, former reservist, and someone I had the privilege of serving alongside, Eddie Reyes. Eddie and I served together at 4th LAR in Cal...

In May 2006, while serving as a Marine recruiter in San Diego, I received a phone call that changed my life. My father and grandfather had been murdered in Colombia. Within days, I was standing at my father’s funeral saying goodbye to my old man. Then life kept moving. I returned home because my son needed spinal cord surgery. I went from burying my father to sleeping in my son’s hospital room, wa...

If you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, you probably remember them. “The Few. The Proud. The Marines.” “Be All You Can Be.” “It’s Not Just a Job, It’s an Adventure.” “Aim High.” Before social media and targeted ads, the military had 30 or 60 seconds on television to get your attention—and some of those commercials absolutely nailed it. I still remember the old Marine Corps commercials. The lava monste...

Twenty-five years ago, America woke up on a Tuesday morning and by the end of that morning, our country—and the world—had changed forever. 2,977 innocent lives were taken. The World Trade Center. The Pentagon. Flight 93. Firefighters, police officers and first responders ran toward danger while everyone else was trying to escape. Ordinary Americans aboard Flight 93 fought back knowing they might n...

Last night I went out to have a cigar and somehow ended up sitting next to another “Marine.” At least that’s what I was told. Parris Island? Check. What was your MOS? Didn’t know what MOS meant. What platoon? Couldn’t remember. What unit? Things started getting fuzzy. Then came infantry, Guam, MP, Kuwait and somehow retiring as an E-8 after roughly seven years. And the deeper the conversation went...

A lot of veterans know their VA disability rating. But do you know what benefits may be available beyond your monthly disability compensation? On this episode of The Field Op Podcast, we're breaking down VA benefits and programs that could potentially put additional money back into veterans' pockets. We’ll talk about: Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) Aid & Attendance SMC-S Housebound benefit...

What happens when one mission ends and another begins? This week, I sit down with fellow Marine Corps veteran Keith Barton for a conversation that goes far beyond politics. From serving as a Recon Marine, Marine officer, and UH-1N Huey pilot to becoming an entrepreneur, published author, and congressional candidate, Keith has continued to reinvent himself while staying committed to one thing: serv...

When I was younger, I thought success meant promotions, rank, titles, money, and checking every box on the career ladder. After 21 years in the Marine Corps, retirement, rebuilding my life, becoming an entrepreneur, helping veterans navigate the VA system, and mentoring families toward financial security, I've come to realize something... Success looks very different than I imagined. In this episo...

For years, the military trained us to lead, adapt, solve problems, and accomplish the mission. What many veterans don't realize is that those same skills are the foundation of successful entrepreneurship. In today's episode of The Field Op, I talk about why veterans are uniquely equipped to build businesses, lead teams, and create opportunities after the uniform comes off. We discuss the similarit...

For 250 years, America has been a beacon of hope, opportunity, and freedom for people from every corner of the world. In today's episode of The Field Op, I reflect on what this country has meant to me as an immigrant who became a United States Marine, why the military remains one of the greatest examples of unity in America, and how this year's World Cup has given us a unique perspective—allowing...

There comes a point in life when you look in the mirror and realize you're no longer the young Marine, soldier, sailor, or airman you once were. The question is: what do you do with that realization? In today's episode of The Field Op, I talk about aging, fitness, health, identity, and the transition from being the young warrior to becoming the seasoned warrior. This isn't about giving up. It's no...

Today on The Field Op, I sit down with retired Navy Chief Elton McLaughlin and Navy veteran Jermaine Lamb of the Unbound Second Watch Foundation. We discuss military service, transition, veteran housing, VA benefits, disability claims, homeownership, and the ongoing mission of helping veterans and their families build stronger futures. These gentlemen are proving that leadership doesn't end when t...

A senior military leader fails a fitness test, posts about it online, and gets praised for being "brave" and "accountable." But is admitting failure the same thing as accountability? Today on The Field Op, we're talking about leadership standards, combat readiness, physical fitness, and whether modern culture has started rewarding excuses more than excellence. This isn't about one individual. It's...

Retired Navy Chaplain Steve Mills joins The Field Op for a powerful conversation about military service, resilience, faith, leadership, and the unseen weight many veterans carry after deployment. From serving as an Air Force firefighter to deploying as a Navy Chaplain to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, and beyond, Steve spent decades walking beside service members during some of the hardest moments of...

Former chiropractor and fitness coach Hermann Diehl joins The Field Op to talk about fitness, nutrition, recovery, and longevity for veterans and men over 40. We discuss training smarter as we age, injury prevention, diet trends, hormone culture, and how to maintain strength, energy, and mental sharpness naturally—without destroying your body in the process. This is about capability, longevity, an...

Marine Corps veteran Cliff Sosamon joins The Field Op to talk about leadership, identity, discipline, and what happens when motivation disappears. As the creator of the Action Under Friction (A.U.F.) method and founder of Tailgate Chat, Cliff teaches people how to move forward through uncertainty, fear, and transition instead of waiting to “feel ready.” This is a conversation about rebuilding mome...

AI is changing everything in content creation. But is it making creators better… or just faster? Brian Colburn joins me on The Field Op to break down how AI should actually be used, where it helps, where it hurts, and how to stay authentic in a space that’s getting more automated by the day. If you’re creating content, this one matters. Listen now. The Field Op Links: https://linktr.ee/thefieldop...

Just got back from this amazing event and there’s a lot to unpack. From veteran creators to active duty voices, Military Content Creator 2026 showed where this space is headed—and it gets better each year. In this episode of The Field Op, I break down what I saw, the real conversations happening behind the scenes, and what it means if you’re building a platform of your own. No hype. Just real take...

Most veterans are leaving benefits on the table — not because they don’t qualify, but because they don’t understand the system. In today’s episode of The Field Op, I break down the Veterans Benefits Knowledge Base, a free resource built by veterans to help you take control of your claim, understand the process, and submit stronger cases. This isn’t about doing it alone. It’s about doing it right....

This one is different. In today’s episode of The Field Op, I sit down with Marine Corps veteran Leo Beach — and we talk about things most men never speak about. From childhood trauma to experiences during his time in the military, Leo has carried a weight that many silently live with. But this isn’t just a story about pain — it’s about what comes after. Through his service dog Isaac, Leo found a p...

Discipline doesn’t stop when you take off the uniform. In today’s episode of The Field Op, I sit down with Army veteran Sanna Garrett-Smith — former Drill Sergeant and now known as The Financial Drill Sergeant. We talk about leadership in the military, building discipline under pressure, and how those same principles apply to finances, business, and life. No shortcuts. No hype. Just structure, acc...

After Iraq was “taken,” the war didn’t end — it changed. In this episode of The Field Op, we break down Task Force Scorpion and the role of 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion during one of the most unpredictable phases of the war. From securing supply routes to adapting to insurgency warfare, this is a look at what really happens when conventional war turns into something far more complex....

Everyone today has opinions about war, geopolitics, and national security. Social media makes it easy to comment from the sidelines. But maintaining peace in a complicated world is far more difficult than most people realize. In this episode of The Field Op, I talk about the burden carried by those who defend freedom, the misuse of historical terms like fascism and Nazism in modern conversations,...