All In. Always. by Nada Bystander

What was it really like to deploy in the early days of the Global War on Terror? In Episode 3 of All In. Always. , I take you back to one of the most defining deployments of my 24-year Navy career—a six-month mission that took me across 13 countries , from the frozen flight line of Keflavik, Iceland , to the deserts of Iraq , the Mediterranean , the Strait of Gibraltar , and eventually the Caribbe...

Most of us never truly understand the raw sacrifice, the relentless chaos, and the profound transformation that happens when duty calls on the darkest, most uncertain days. This is my story — I thought I was heading out on a routine deployment as a Navy flight crewman, only to find myself in the eye of history’s fiercest storm. What I witnessed, what I endured, and how it changed me forever will h...

In the first episode of All In. Always. , Chris Garcia shares the story of how a plan for college money became a lifelong commitment to service. Beginning with Navy boot camp in November 1997, Chris reflects on becoming a Flight Engineer aboard the P-3 Orion, building a family, experiencing the military before and after 9/11, and the moment he realized service was no longer temporary—it had become...

Most people only see the badge—what’s on the surface, the heroics, the headlines. But behind every call, there’s a story they never tell: the weight, the sacrifice, the unseen scars. This episode shatters the misconception, peeling back the layers of what it truly means to serve as a first responder or military veteran. After spending 24 years in the Navy, I have witnessed the pride and the darkne...