Behind the Warrior

Send us Fan Mail Enjoy the interview with CMSgt (RET) Linda Cox who was the first female EOD Technician in the military.  A native to both Oklahoma and Texas, Linda enlisted in the Air Force in 1971.  Several years into her Air Force enlistment, a fellow airman dared her to apply for EOD School and the rest is history! Linda gives great perspective on fate, accomplishments and philosophy on life. ...

Send us Fan Mail Learn about Operation Deep Dive with Cheree Tham, Vice President of Programs & Initiatives with America's Warrior Partnership. Cheree explains the elements of Operation Deep Dive, what they hope to accomplish in conducting interviews  with  families, friends, colleagues, asking them to share their interactions with people who have passed away from suicide and other unnatu...

Send us Fan Mail This is Part 2 of a great conversation with USMC (Ret) EOD Captain, Ben Redmond. Ben continues his story of various duty stations, shares funny stories and memories from the EOD Memorial Weekend. He talks about some of his EOD heroes, how the EOD career field and community is important to him , giving back and of course ending with some of his favorite things.  Such an enjoyable c...

Send us Fan Mail Take a trip down memory lane with USMC (Ret) EOD Captain, Ben Redmond.  He grew up near Asheville, NC, he shares the story of his childhood and teenage years,  his dream of becoming a NASCAR driver and the thrill of fast cars! In 1968, his life took a different turn when  he received a draft notice.  Ben shares the timeline of his service, the lessons he learned and what a blessin...

Send us Fan Mail This interview is short and sweet! Please welcome Jacques Hope  as our Marketing & Scholarship Coordinator. He is a retired Army EOD Officer who shares a passion for helping others, his love for EOD and staying connected to the EOD family. He shares a little about himself and his excitement to be in this new role. Welcome Jacques, we are glad to have you on the EODWF team!   F...

Send us Fan Mail Captain Hung Cao shares his story of being born in Vietnam, and his family's  decision to flee the country in 1975. This brave trek  led him to spending many years growing up in Africa and then coming to the United States when he was 12 years old. He tells of learning to speak English and his desire as a young man to serve in the United States Military.  A US Naval Academy gr...

Send us Fan Mail Join Sherri for a conversation with LTC (RET) Bob Leiendecker as he shares stories about his childhood, love for explosives, his journey in the military and  a lot of fond memories too!  Bob is a caretaker of military memorabilia and preserver of history, specifically the EOD career field,  that dates back to WWII.  We talked about his humble beginnings,  college life, decision to...

Send us Fan Mail Jeanette Gilles, Deputy Director of Community Integration for America's Warrior Partnership joined Sherri to talk about the great programs and resources this Nationwide non-profit has to offer.  AWP started as a grassroots effort in Augusta, Georgia, over the years it has grown Nationally to connect and empower veterans within their local communities. Check out the conversati...

Send us Fan Mail This conversation with Kent Solheim, Founder and Program Development Lead for Gold Star Teen Adventures explains the mission of this incredible non-profit. We talk about their programs and goals in giving Gold Star Teens a chance to focus on Healing, Opportunity and Leadership. Kent shares his personal story of his time in service, being critically wounded in 2007, how this gave h...

Send us Fan Mail Join Sherri for a great discussion with Director  of Echo Hill Ranch, Marcie Friedman, and Bobby McBride, Military Outreach Volunteer. Marcie talks about the long history of Echo Hill and how her parents started the ranch in 1953 in the small town of Medina, Texas;  they had a  love for children and provided a rich environment for kids to thrive. This year, the ranch has re-opened...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 with Carl - continued conversation about his time in service, the Bomb, Buzzard and Pick and his creative side. Carl discusses some of the awards he earned while serving his country and provides details around a discovery of how to treat white phosphorus burns  (please note: animals are used for science). He believes that Marine EOD Brotherhood is like no other, and shares...

Send us Fan Mail Sit back and enjoy this conversation with USMC Captain (Ret) Carl Jozaitis. Carl talks about his humble childhood, being born during the Great Depression,  growing up on the south side of Chicago and spending summers in South Dakota. He shares how he had two choices, join the service or be drafted. Carl joined the Marine Corps, ready to serve his country and had lessons along the...

Send us Fan Mail This is a great conversation with SFC Jeff and Trish Dawson. Jeff shares  his story of joining the military, choosing EOD, multiple deployments and in 2019, the deployment that changed his life. Trish talks about her experiences growing up as a military child, how she and Jeff met, and when she received the call that Jeff was seriously injured. The world paused for a while, only t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Justin talks about his time as an Air Force EOD technician, civilian contracting, a journey to find purpose and helping military families.  He openly shares his story and hopes to inspire those who may be feeling a bit lost after the military. Justin is successful in the mortgage lending industry and speaks about integrity and ethics as he assists military members...

Send us Fan Mail Narissa Jenkins is the founder of Healing Hoof Steps. This non-profit is located in Crestview, Florida offering a variety of equine therapy programs to veterans, active duty, first responders and challenged with mobility. There is something for everyone!   Narissa talks about her love of horses at an early age and leaving the corporate world when she needed horses the most. She sh...

Send us Fan Mail Learn more about the Travis Mills Foundation through my conversation with Program Director, Kelly Roseberry. Kelly shares how she transitioned from working at Walter Reed as a physical therapist to Program Director of the Travis Mills Foundation. Her enthusiasm and passion for helping others is contagious. Kelly explains the mission of TMF, the program offerings, and their plans f...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is focused on a new non-profit in the panhandle of Florida, Panhandle Warrior Partnership. Keith Manley, retired USA EOD Technician talks about his new role as Program Lead for PWP, their mission, and much more. Listen and learn as Keith shares how he is hiring folks to help with the outreach of over 100,000 veterans that live in the panhandle of Florida. PWP works co...

Send us Fan Mail April is the Month of the Military Child - join Sherri for a conversation with Chloe Rayer, a military child (now young adult) and a Freshman in college who is studying American Sign Language with a minor in Linquistics.  Chloe's parents are both Army Veterans and she shares several experiences that have shaped her into the incredible young lady she is today.  Every military...

Send us Fan Mail Wha a fun conversation with Leon Tackitt, retired US Navy EOD, Board Member for the EOD Warrior Foundation and Leon alongside his wife Cindy are the owners of Tackitt Family Vineyards. We talked about his career, the evolution of Tackitt Family Vineyards and how he and Cindy give back to a community that is near and dear to their hearts. They achieve giving back in many ways, high...

Send us Fan Mail Join Sherri for a great conversation with Chris and Lilly Rogers. Chris is a retired Public Safety Bomb Technician  & Program Manager of Training for USBTA. Lilly is a  SMSgt Air Force EOD Technician . They talk about their careers, how they met and mixing the two worlds of service.  We also had fun discussing the new Facebook page, EOD Chefs. The intended purpose of this page...

Send us Fan Mail Tom Spooner, retried Army Special Forces and co-founder of Warriors Heart shares his struggle to wellness, finding sobriety and creating a way to give back to others that may have a similar story.  His experiences led to co-founding Warriors Heart,  a treatment center located in Bandera, TX that is exclusive  to active duty  warriors, veterans and first responders who are struggli...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for a great interview with Jeff Haugland, EOD (ret) Army combat veteran, and co-founder of  Invictus Project.  He shares his own personal story with TBI, PTSD, suicidal ideation  and how he found hope. Jeff is dedicated to helping other veterans that may share a similar story through his work with Invictus Project. Their mission is " To empower veterans to live more f...

Send us Fan Mail Never give up is the takeaway from this podcast episode.  Join us for a conversation with Marine EOD Tech (ret) Jimmy Sides.  Wounded in  war,  Jimmy overcame loss of vision in his left eye and amputation of his lower right arm, to become a snowboarding champion.  He is a Team USA athlete and competed in the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeong Chang South Korea.  Jimmy shares h...

Send us Fan Mail Get your pen and paper ready! This podcast is full of valuable information  to help Veterans and  military spouses prepare and find employment opportunities and career resources in your local area or desired location. Terry Cowan, Veteran and Military Family Program Manger and Sarah Ambriz, Director of Communications and Public Relations for CareerSource Okaloosa Walton County, FL...

Send us Fan Mail We had a lighthearted and informative conversation with Mark Fogle, retired Air Force EOD, entrepreneur and family man. He along with his wife Angelia (prior EOD) founded Crab Zone. Crab Zone is a local business in Niceville, FL that provides EOD specific attire, memorabilia, supports custom orders, encourages creativity as an outlet and so much more!  Learn about Marks choice of...