Tracer Burnout

On our first TB Quick Hit, we welcome fire captain Josh Grandinetti into our virtual studio. We discuss his passion, mental health through mindfulness, for the first responder and military communities. Please visit his website to find a series of great programs: https://www.foundationfortified.org/.  Theme song by EduardBykovets via Pixabay. Support the show https://tracerburnout.com/

Soon, we will be releasing shorter content every other week. These episodes will offset our traditional episodes where we discuss military service of the veteran. These “Quick Hit” episodes will have all kinds of guests on from academia, to athletes, to veterans, and beyond. These episodes will be audio format only on your favorite podcast channel.  Support the show https://tracerburnout.com/

“Sam, don’t be upset because you’re gonna marry that boy someday.”  In this special Valentine’s Day edition, we speak with co-authors of Zero Percent Chance, Jon and Samantha Turnbull. We discuss their love story starting at a church youth camp through West Point, across multiple deployments and the suicide bombing that killed Jon twice. Even two years of surgery and recovery at Walter Reed Nation...

“I’ve always wanted to do something that helped other people.” In this episode, we speak with Army veteran Mr. Scot Storey. We discuss casualties during Operation Just Cause, the burdens of leadership, how perception shapes reality, running an Operations Center in the wake of 9-11, and how quickly an advanced degree can collect dust. In the Free Fire Area, we discuss mysteries we want answers to....

“It’s not my story. I’m a character in the book. It’s our story.” In this episode, we speak with Army veteran and author Mr. Andrew Bragg. We discuss his two combat deployments in Afghanistan, making it into a James Dietz print, losing friends in combat, driving across the country to reconnect with those that survived, and a magical land full of unicorns, gumdrops, and rainbows. In the Free Fire A...

“The time you take to beat yourself up over doing something wrong is the time you could have taken to do it right.” In this episode, we speak with Air Force and Army veteran and now author Ms. Bevin Goldsmith. We discuss her rich family history of military service, how she should have gone from the Army to the Air Force (not vice versa), her experiences on a Female Engagement Team in Iraq, her wri...

Christmas time is here (sung in the tune of Peanuts). We reflect on The Christmas Truce of 1914, read General Patton’s 1944 Christmas address to the troops, discus various Christmas traditions that service members and their families might see while stationed overseas, and try some cuisine that you might find at Christmas dinner tables across the world, all the while tackling the greatest holiday i...

“I actually called her collect from Antarctica.” In this episode, we speak with Coast Guard veteran Mr. Chris Johnston. We discuss scientific exploration and discovery in Antarctica, searching for Santa Claus while avoiding polar bears, how the CG prepared him for 9-11 and Hurricane Helene rescue efforts, being on liberty in Australia, and how, under the right circumstances, the military really ca...

Our dulcet tones return to bring you our 2024 Thanksgiving Special. We run through a variety of holiday subjects, starting with a reading of President Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation. We then discuss military holiday traditions, give a nod to some great non-profits, and denounce some of the most well known Thanksgiving meal staples. It’s a little bit of merriment to distract you during the...

“I worked too hard for this to quit.” In this episode, we speak with Army veteran Mr. Ladell Williams. We discuss how enlisting at 17 may have saved his life, his three tours in Vietnam, touring Western Europe, and how sometimes a unit is SO bad that you’ll volunteer to go back to ‘Nam to get away. In the Free Fire Area, we each choose one genre of music to listen to for eternity.  We need your su...

“I really didn’t expect to come back to my wife and kids.” In this episode, we speak with Airman Mr. Dan “Cookie” Cook. We discuss his rocky early years and struggles with mental health, how the Air Force was a perfect fit for him, the importance of faith in his life, and the time he took advice from a mustachioed man called “Mouse.” In the Free Fire Area, Dan has a pumpkin spice meltdown. Cookie’...

“I was with my people.” In this episode, we speak with Navy Public Affairs Officer Mrs. Theresa Carpenter. We discuss her time as an enlisted Aviation Electrician’s Mate, her rocky transition to becoming an officer, the inspiration for starting her SOS Podcast, and Soylent Green? In the Free Fire Area, we discuss family-friendly Halloween/spooky movies (Know what I mean, Vern?). Then we parse how...

“You're too much of an asset to let go.” In this episode, we speak with former Army heavy equipment operator, Mr. Lucas Velmer. We discuss life as a Yooper, his career as an Engineer before and after changing to Civil Affairs, his rocky transition into retirement, and how the Top Gun volleyball scene made him the man he is today. In the Free Fire Area, Czar Baker decides which US state should...

“If you can fly in one thing, you can jump in the other one.” In this episode, we speak with Army veteran and aviator Mr. Josh Martin. We discuss life at West Point, how to conduct an autorotation, his medical journey leading to an amputation, and how water polo saved him from drill and ceremony. In the Free Fire Area, we determine which words to reintroduce into the English language… and Roger’s...

“He took me to an air show, and that day I called a recruiter.” In this episode, we speak with Air Force veteran and in-flight refueler Mrs. Alecia Judd. We discuss life as a dual-military and special needs family, the easiest planes to refuel, a rabbit named Stewie, and... cooties? In the Free Fire Area, we discuss warfare in antiquity.  We need your support:  - Like, share, comment, and subscrib...

“Nope… pretty sure I’ve been shot.” In this episode, we speak with Army Ranger and Special Forces veteran Mr. Enrique “Ranger Rick” Murillo. We discuss life in both Ranger and Special Forces Regiments, what’s its like to be shot, how tragedy can lead to redemption, and to never touch Rick’s hat (even if you’re a prince). In the Free Fire Area, we discuss which Olympic events we would scrap and wha...

Seven generations of military service and counting! In this episode, we speak with Navy Logistics Specialist (LS) veteran Mrs. Shae Gragg. We discuss her rich family history, the rigors of being a logistician in a naval aviation unit, that LS (surprisingly) does not stand for longshoreman, and... rabbits? In the Free Fire Area, we try to make sense of the wardrobe choices of superheroes.  We need...

“Your entire life is a story.” In this episode, we speak with Army Special Operations Forces and Civil Affairs veteran Mrs. Ivy Krueger. She went from making maps to making a strategic impact. We discuss the early days in the new Active Duty Civil Affairs units, how living overseas gives one an appreciation for life in America, and the abundance of goats and chickens in Latin America. In the Free...

“Everything happens for a reason.” In this episode, we speak with former paratrooper and author Mr. Will Yeske. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and wrote about his company’s harrowing experience in his book Damn the Valley. We discuss the book, why veteran-focused bureaucracies need more combat veterans, and how the US Army Infantry School is a “fun slice of ridiculousn...

“The whole nine yards.” In this episode, we speak with Marine Corps veteran Mr. Mike “M2” McCusker. He is a veteran of the Lebanese Civil War peace keeping mission, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and he played a critical role in writing the strategic documents of the early Global War on Terror. In the Free Fire Area, Roger confesses his favorite ice cream flavor is boring.  We need you...

Join the Air Force and see the world! In this episode, we speak with Gen-X Air Force veteran Mr. John Collins. We discuss why he joined, dooby-ous care packages, his service during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and the importance of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In the Free Fire Area, we finally decide who was the best - and worst - 007.  Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay S...

On this Memorial Day edition, we honor Gold Star Spouse Mrs. Jessica Hess and her late husband, US Army Staff Sergeant Jacob Hess. We thank her for sharing her story and hope everyone learns something.  “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”   - Isaiah 6:8 Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay. Support the show htt...

Here at TB, we tackle the serious issues: Do you call them Coast Guardsmen? Coast Guardians? Can they all swim? What is the street value of cocaine? And most importantly, what is the Coast Guard? Helping us answer these questions is Millennial serviceman Mr. Cody Bumpus. In the Free Fire Area, we reach common ground on the best pizza topping, what should never go on pizza, and that Canadian bacon...

Do you have purpose and direction? On our fourth episode, we talk with Mr. Sid Byrne, a Gen-X Soldier who served as an infantry paratrooper and crossed over into the officer corps as a Special Operations logistician. In the Free Fire Area, we discuss being flies on-the-wall at pivotal (or whimsical) times in history. Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay. Support the show https://tracerburnout.co...

Weapons away! On our third episode, we talk with Mr. Charles "Digger" Davis, a Gen-X fighter pilot who served in the Balkans and Iraq. In the Free Fire Area, Dan demonstrates a shameful lack of knowledge on America's longest running sitcom. D'oh! Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay. Support the show https://tracerburnout.com/