Veteran State Of Mind Network

In November 2006, Arnhem Company of the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment deployed to Basra, Iraq. What followed was seven months of relentless fighting against an insurgency armed with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs. Carl Gardner was Company Sergeant Major of Arnhem Company during one of the British Army's most challenging tours of the Iraq War. Carl ref...

Scott White's journey began in Edinburgh, where at 25 he stepped into the unforgiving world of private security. He trained alongside former special forces instructors, mastering close protection, weapons handling and specialist driving tactics. For six years he worked throughout Europe and the UK before becoming a Private Military Contractor at 31. Scott deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, ope...

John Feal is a native New Yorker and US Army veteran who worked as a demolition supervisor at Ground Zero until a disabling injury five days into the cleanup. He lobbied Congress to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which he fought to defend and expand in 2015 and 2019 with the help of dozens of his fellow 9/11 responders, post-9/11 illness survivors, and comedian Jo...

Andy White joined the British Army in 1993 and served three tours in Iraq with the 1st Battalion, The Light Infantry. Seeking a new challenge, Andy then transferred to the Australian Defence Force. After successfully completing selection for the Special Air Service Regiment, and following the reinforcement cycle in 2009, Andy was posted to 1 SAS Squadron, where he spent the majority of his Austral...

Brandon Burton is a retired Captain who served for 20 years with the Nebraska Army National Guard, including two combat deployments to Afghanistan in 2008 and 2013. An engineer officer, instructor and former commander of the 623rd Engineer Company, Brandon’s military career took him from leading soldiers overseas to training the next generation of Guard officers. He retired from uniformed service...

Bill Robertson is a historian, teacher, and author. His first book - The Undefeated - examines the experiences of Allied POWs in Europe during WW2 - including Bill's own great grandfather. Get Bill's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Undefeated-Untold-Allied-Prisoners-1939-45/dp/1917120575 Bill's Substack: https://substack.com/@billrobertson401648 Bill's Insta: @whw_highland_...

Danny Murphy is a former United States Marine. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Danny enlisted from 2009-2013 as a mortarman and was assigned to the 81mm mortar platoon in 1st Battalion, 8th Marines.  Danny deployed twice to Helmand Province - Musa Qala in 2010-2011 and later to Kajaki in 2012.  He is the author of  “The Hills by the Wadi”, a memoir detailing an enlistment during the GWOT.   Inst...

John Nichol served in the Royal Air Force for fifteen years. On active duty during the first Gulf War in 1991, his Tornado bomber was shot down during a mission over Iraq. Captured, tortured and held as a prisoner of war, John was paraded on television, provoking worldwide condemnation and leaving one of the most enduring images of the conflict. John is the bestselling co-author of Tornado Down an...

At the age of 22, Chance Eaton was the youngest serving captain in the British Army, later serving with UK Special Forces. Today, Chance brings together military service, creativity, leadership and personal development through his work as The Warrior Artist. Chance is the founder of HEARTH™️, a movement bringing people together around the fire through conversation, creativity and shared experience...

Send us Fan Mail Brad Knight is a former British Army Royal Engineer and Afghanistan veteran who served as a High-Threat Searcher. He is the author of Brimstone: A Searcher’s War – Hunting the Taliban’s Silent Killers , an acclaimed memoir detailing the relentless tension and danger faced by bomb disposal and route search teams in Helmand. Brad's links: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brimsto...

Send us Fan Mail Lawrence 'Loz' Kayser served in Iraq on Op Telic 4, 6, and 8. He then went on to serve three tours in Afghanistan, taking part in such operations as Sond Chara in support of 42 Commando. On his sixth and final tour Loz was awarded a Military Cross. Incredibly, he was later medically discharged from the army for 'combat addiction.' We talk about Loz's time...

Send us Fan Mail On 6 June 1944, Keith Whiting was serving aboard HMS Ramillies, a British battleship supporting the Normandy landings. Keith helped fire the massive 15-inch guns that bombarded German defences ahead of the Allied assault on the beaches, and then supported them as they fought their way inland. HMS Ramillies fired so many shells during the invasion that her gun barrels later had to...

Send us Fan Mail "Jonny Whitmore MBE — known to many as Shed — was born in Hinckley, Leicestershire and joined the Royal Corps of Signals , completing P Company early in his career. He deployed to Afghanistan with 22 Signal Regiment and 2 Signal Regiment , before returning to the UK to serve as a Section Commander at ATC Pirbright , training and leading recruits. He later completed the Specia...

Send us Fan Mail Ash McGraw served for 16 years in the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of The Mercian Regiment. During that time he lead soldiers all over the world, including on two tours of Afghanistan. Since leaving the forces Ash has built a new mission focussing on leadership, resilience, and performance. He is an online coach and property developer helping everyday people rebuild discipline, transfor...

Send us Fan Mail Stuart Smalldridge served in Afghanistan with 42 Commando, Royal Marines on Operation Herrick 9 This episode contains descriptions that some listeners may find upsetting. Note: Stuart served alongside Ben (War Story Episode 002), and crossed paths with Scott Ryder, 2nd Commando Regiment (War Story Episode 022) on a joint operation in Uruzgan Province. If you are interested in bein...

Send us Fan Mail Ethan Nagel is a Marine Corps Infantrymen and Scout Sniper that served during the height of Iraq and Afghanistan war. He deployed to the Haditha Triad and Fallujah Provinces in Iraq and volunteered for a third deployment to Afghanistan as a Combat Advisor on Embedded Training Team 1-11. While attached to 10th Special Forces group and on patrol deep in the Mountains of Uzbin Valley...

Send us Fan Mail In October 2009, Corporal Andy Reid MBE was blown up by a Taliban improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Injured so badly that it was thought he would not survive, he defied the odds to the extent that, within a month, he was able to meet up with members of his patrol again. What he has achieved since then is little short of unbelievable. The...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Harrage is a former British Army soldier who began his military career as a Radio Operator in the Royal Signals. Early on, he realised he wanted to push himself further and volunteered for the Airborne Forces straight out of training. After successfully completing P Company and his parachute training, he earned the coveted Maroon Beret and Parachute Wings. Mike deployed on tw...

Send us Fan Mail Trey Morriss is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with thirty-one years of service, serving and supporting the legendary Eighth Air Force. His love of aviation runs deep―shaped by stories of his grandfather and uncle, who flew combat missions over Europe in World War II. Early in his career, Morriss took part in a top-secret, record-setting strike that opened Operation Desert Storm...

Send us Fan Mail TIM SAUNDERS served as an infantry officer with the British Army for thirty years, during which time he took the opportunity to visit campaigns far and wide, from ancient to modern. Since leaving the Army he has become a full time military historian and has made nearly fifty full documentary films with Battlefield History and Pen & Sword. He is an active guide and accredited m...

Send us Fan Mail Steve Black served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. You can find his book in the links below, as well as details on The Muster Point - a veterans support and community project in Hertfordshire. Stephen's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-another-squaddies-story-tour/dp/B0GHH4713N The Muster Point: https://themusterpoint.org.uk/ Tickets to Geraint&apo...

Send us Fan Mail TED SHIRLEY is an author and former British Army sniper. He served two tours in Afghanistan, where he achieved remarkable feats, including shots from over a mile away. Despite these accomplishments, Ted faced a challenging battle with post-traumatic stress disorder upon his return home. The juxtaposition of life on the battlefield as a soldier to a small-town civilian brought new...

Send us Fan Mail Alana Stott MBE is a global prevention strategist, intelligence advisor, and founder working at the intersection of exploitation prevention, capital accountability, and systems change. She if the CEO and Founder of Blue Rose Foundation, a prevention-first organisation focussed on identifying and interrupting grooming, abuse, and trafficking before exploitation occurs. Blue Rose wo...

Send us Fan Mail Rick Webb served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the King's Royal Hussars. You can follow him on Instagram: @rickwebbgolf ----- If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast please contact us at info@veteranstateofmind.com , or drop us a DM on instagram @veteranstateofmind Please help us spread the word by telling your mates about the podcast, or by leaving a review/ rat...

Send us Fan Mail Morgan Lerette served in the US Army before joining Blackwater as a Private Military Contractor. He is the author of Guns, Girls, & Greed,  a firsthand perspective on how men act and react in war. You can get Morgan's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Girls-Greed-Blackwater-Mercenary/dp/B0D5JMPTMY Connect with him: @blackwaterdude1 If you are interested in being a gu...