Tango Alpha Lima Podcast

Retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Col. Lee Ellis, who was shot down and captured during the Vietnam War, talks about leadership and team building lessons he learned during his five years as a prisoner of war, as well as throughout his military service and his 25 years as a leadership coach. SCUTTLEBUTT Now is the time to plan for the 100th Anniversary of American Legion Baseball NASA Scientists...

We kick off the new year with a few resolutions and a memory of Sammi, the Iraqi interpreter who worked with Joe and his Marines. THE INTERVIEW Mazin Mozan, who served as an interpreter with Stacy in Iraq shares his story of serving with Coalition forces, gaining a Special Immigrant Visa and moving to the United States, and his enlistment in the U.S. Army. SCUTTLEBUTT Norwegian fishermen accidenta...

Navy veteran and Legionnaire Kelley Gilberry shares his knowledge about overcoming heart disease and obesity. After his own health journey, Gilberry is now on a mission to show others how to revolutionize their health without relying on pharmaceuticals. SCUTTLEBUTT Post Falls, Idaho American Legion offering free Christmas trees for veterans Keokuk, Iowa Post 41 hosts 52nd annual Christmas Dinner o...

THE INTERVIEW National Military Family Association CEO Besa Pinchotti talks about her family roots in Kosovo, and how her time as a journalist led to her advocacy for American military families. She also explains how NMFA helps meet the immediate needs for military spouses and children as well as advocate for legislation to make permanent changes to support military families. SCUTTLEBUTT Next year...

Wives of the Armed forces co-founders and content creators, Jen Ferrell and Kirst Navaroli, talk about their unique corner of the internet where thousands of military spouses share experiences as they live the chaotic military lifestyle, support their spouses, one another, and the mission. Jen and Kirst share how they became military spouses, how they met and found themselves leaning on one anothe...

Department of Veterans Affairs Chief of Innovation, Dr. Indra Sandal, tells the story of how she became a U.S. citizen, why she was drawn to work with veterans and what led to her work to bring new innovations to VA health care. Dr. Sandal talks about how her work led to VA rideshare programs with Uber and Lyft. She also talks about VA's collaboration with MIT – the Veterans Health Hackathon –...

Abraham Lincoln and the first Thanksgiving THE INTERVIEW Dr. Uma Naidoo, nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutritional biologist and author, shares her knowledge of how our diets affect our brains and mental wellness. Dr. Naidoo also talks about the connection between food, culture and community, how to make small modifications that make family favories into healthier choices, and how s...

Happy Birthday to the Kindle. THE INTERVIEW Air Force veteran and author Ethan Brown is a Senior Fellow for Defense Studies at the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress (CSPS), a bipartisan think-tank in Washington D.C. He is also the author of the “Visual Friendlies, Tally Target” trilogy (Casemate Publishers), chronicling the role of forward air controllers and Close Air Support...

Retired Air Force physician, Dr. Mary Anne Kiel, is a Pediatrician and a Food for Life Instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Her work with Lifestyle and Performance medicine has helped servicemembers and their families learn how to make sustainable behavioral changes that improve health and wellness over the course of their lifetime. Dr. Kiel discusses how being active...

We're dropping this episode a few days early in honor of election day. While The American Legion is a non-partisan organization, we have, since our earliest days, believed in the right to vote. Our "Get Out the Vote" program encourages all Americans to register and vote in all elections. In addition, Legionnaires, posts, districts and departments are encouraged to fully involve themselves in the e...

Filmmaker Jake Rademacher honors his brothers’ service by creating award-winning movies about their deployments and life after the war. Between 2005-2007, Jake risked everything, including his life, to tell the story of his brothers serving in Iraq in the award-winning feature film, Brothers at War – which has led to resiliency workshops and much more. 20 years later, Jake traveled to four contine...

Scary Bad Halloween Dad Jokes THE INTERVIEW Former Navy SEAL Alden Mills finds joy in helping people do more than they originally thought possible. So he’s on a mission to help 100 million people be unstoppable and go after their goals. He talks about staying connected to your military identity, embracing discomfort as a stepping stone toward growth and overcoming self-doubt to accomplish goals. S...

Duct Tape debuts at Paris Fashion Week THE INTERVIEW Danielle Robinson — the surviving spouse of the late Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson, namesake of the PACT Act – joins the podcast to share her family's story and how she and her husband became champions for passage of this historic legislation. Danielle also shares how she honors Heath's legacy as an activist and advocate for Burn Pits 360, fig...

Blue Star Families founder and CEO, Kathy Roth-Douquet, is dedicated to her organization's mission to reshape the way America supports its military. Kathy shares how her own family's military journey led her to help military families by connecting them with their neighbors to create communities of mutual support. She discusses how Blue Star Families works to tackle issues faced by military familie...

Monica Bassett, founder and CEO of Stronghold Food Pantry, is a Military Food Insecurity Expert and a dedicated advocate for military families facing this issue. A military spouse and the daughter of a Vietnam War veteran, Monica knows first-hand the struggle some families face when it comes to food insecurity. She shares how her own experiences influenced her commitment to helping others, and why...

THE INTERVIEW Román Baca, Artistic Director of Exit12 Dance Company is a classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer who, in 2001, took a hiatus from dance and enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he served as a machine-gunner and fire-team leader in Fallujah, Iraq. Baca shares how he founded Exit 12 Dance Company to give veterans a storytelling platform through dance, theater and movement....

Suicide awareness advocate Jerri Reed shares the story of losing her son, Iraq War veteran Cody Comacho, who took his own life after a 20-year battle with PTSD. Reed is striving to educate others about the dangers of using psychiatric drugs as PTSD treatment. Special Guest: Jerri Reed. Links: Watch video of this episode on YouTube Veterans Crisis Line Michigan Veteran Harm Reduction Summit Tickets...

The gang is back together - and things get a little hairy before our guest arrives. THE INTERVIEW In his role as PACT Act Transitional Executive Director for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Army veteran Steven Miska serves as the senior advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs – providing oversight on the development, adoption and implementation of the PACT Act. Miska talks about his milit...

Joe marks his “hurt-a-versary” by looking back to the day 20 years ago when he was injured while running to assist a vehicle that had been hit by an IED. THE INTERVIEW Standing at 5'3" and weighing 110 pounds, young Navy recruit David Brown was laughed at and told he'd never make it through BUDS and become a SEAL. But Brown was determined. "If there was someone telling me I couldn’t do it, then th...

How we continue to remember September 11 THE INTERVIEW Marine Corps veteran, endurance athlete, adventurer and author Akshay Nanavati has a picture of a friend he lost in war on his wall and under it he wrote, “This should have been you. Earn this life." This was the fuel to write his book, "Fearvana: The Revolutionary Science of How to Turn Fear into Health, Wealth and Happiness" in order to help...

Grab your cowboy hats - Stacy briefly steps out of the recording studio and Adam and Joe launch a three-week "Bro-down" of episodes. IN THIS EPISODE September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and a perfect time to be part of The American Legion Be the One mission by taking part in the online Columbia Training Protocol. THE INTERVIEW Our guest is Tanya O’Callaghan - an Irish-born bass player...

Kevin Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in 2000 and lived to tell about it. While the suicide attempt broke his body, it did not break his spirit, and he has since dedicated his life to helping others overcome mental health challenges and teach them how to love the life they have. Kevin joins host Amy Forsythe to talk about his own mental-health journey and how he turned his miraculous survi...

In a special episode recorded live at the Tango Alpha Lima Podcast Outpost at The American Legion National Convention in New Orleans, hosts Stacy Pearsall and Adam Marr catch up with former guests and meet new friends who discuss the exciting things they are sharing with convention attendees. Steve Burke, an Army veteran, West Point grad and Business Leader of Associations with Grouper talks about...

NAVSEA enters "Survey Era" - director urges employees to participate in annual survey in e-mail laced with Taylor Swift lyrics. THE INTERVIEW Our guest is Chase Sterling, founder of Wellbeing ThinkTank. She’s an Army veteran who has built a career working with organizations and individuals to create a culture of health and wellbeing in the workplace. SCUTTLEBUTT Ret. Gen. Mark Milley: One-third of...

CELEBRITY VETERAN: A salute to George Carlin THE INTERVIEW LA Stand-up comedian and Marine Corps veteran Bryson Banks talks about his comedy show, Semper Funny, and his journey from his military service to successful entertainer. SCUTTLEBUTT Coffee & Chat at American Legion Post 243 in Oviedo, Fla. "A Soldier’s Journey" - WWI monument set to be unveiled in Washington DC Special Guest: Bryson B...