Behind the Warrior

Send us Fan Mail Join us for a great conversation with caregiver Lindsey Stacy. She shares her journey and story as wife and caregiver to her husband, EODCS (ret) Kenton Stacy who sustained severe wounds on November 17, 2017 leaving him a paraplegic and blind in one eye. Life changed forever for the Stacy family on that day and the challenges continue to be vast. Lindsey says that her faith has ke...

Send us Fan Mail Our good friend Aaron Hale made time to speak with Mike and I about his career in the military, and the day that his life forever changed in 2011. An IED explosion took his eyesight, and caused multiple life threatening injuries, and a long road of rehabilitation.   Aaron is a retired Army EOD Technician, Entrepreneur, father, husband, son and friend. He is truly  an inspiration a...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is full of information! Army Veteran and Founder, Brooke Corson shares her passion,  Mutts with a Mission, a 501(c) 3 non-profit service dog organization based in Portsmouth, Virginia.  Brooke shares her personal story, love of animals, her journey in the Army and how pitching the idea  of Mutts with Mission to her husband to help veterans.  She explains the differenc...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for a candid and honest conversation with Stuart  "Stu" Steinberg.  Stu talks about his time in service as an Army EOD Technician during the Vietnam Era, his career as a Criminal Defense Lawyer, Private Investigator, Veteran Services Officer,  Advocate and Author.  Stu is a man of many talents and has spent his life serving, defending and advocating for veterans....

Send us Fan Mail Mike and Sherri  give a brief overview of the EOD Warrior Foundation mission, purpose and services that are provided to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal community. They share information about upcoming events and happenings for the EOD Warrior Foundation in 2021. The year is starting off strong and our team is ready for a busy first quarter and preparing for the EOD Memorial Weeken...

Send us Fan Mail Mike and I had a great conversation with the  Founder & President of Wake for Warriors, Dave Deep.  His personal experience as a USMC combat veteran led him to finding comfort in spending time on the water and wake boarding.  Dave talks about how the idea for a recreational program for veterans came to be and how Wake for Warriors is making a difference for military members (v...

Send us Fan Mail This episode focuses on the important work of the Folded Flag Foundation. Operations Manager and EOD Spouse,  Jamie Phillips shares the mission and vision of this 501(c) nonprofit based in Nevada. The mission of The Folded Flag Foundation is to provide educational scholarships and support grants to the spouses and children of the United States military and government personnel who...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for this great conversation with Heart of Horse Sense Executive Director, Shannon Knapp.  Shannon talks about her life long love of horses and how she and her husband founded Horse Sense of the Carolinas; that then led to creating Heart of Horse Sense, a nonprofit located in the beautiful rolling hills of Western North Carolina. Shannon shares her passion for rescuing at r...

Send us Fan Mail Please join us for our interview with Audri Beugelsdijk,  Vice President of Survivor Services for T.A.P.S. - Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and she is a  Gold Star Widow. This episode is dedicated to Survivors. Audri shares her personal story of losing her husband in 1997; her journey to wellness and giving back.   The overarching message is that T.A.P.S.  has a wealth o...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast episode is dedicated to caregivers, the Hidden Heroes of the world. Our heartfelt conversation with Jennifer Mackinday, a proud military caregiver, military mom and Elizabeth Dole Fellow.  Jennifer shares her story of becoming a caregiver to her brother after he was injured in 2005. She talks about the challenges, stress, burnout, victories and finding herself again. ...

Send us Fan Mail Our interview with  USMC Veteran Nate McDonald  and the  VP & COO,  of a unique non-profit organization,  Irreverent Warriors. Nate is also joined by the Director of Merchandise, Anna (USMC) and they both do a great job of telling the mission and vision of Irreverent Warriors and why it is so important to our veteran community.  The MISSION of Irreverent Warriors is to bring v...

Send us Fan Mail Project ; Felix is a new peer to peer initiative started by a few Air Force EOD techs who found strength in connecting with their EOD brothers and sisters. Our conversation with the co-founders and presenters Mario Kovach (ret) and Brad Kline (active duty) was insightful and fun. At this time, Project ; Felix has their own You Tube channel and Facebook page to reach their audience...

Send us Fan Mail Adam talks about growing up, joining the Air Force and becoming an EOD Technician. While conducting combat operations on December 7, 2007, his life changed. He speaks about the incident, the loss of his right leg above the knee, rehabilitation, and all of the support he received that gave him hope and  inspiration.  Facing and overcoming challenges is hard. He redirected his focus...

Send us Fan Mail Mike and I were honored to interview our new Chairman of the Board, Greg Mittelman. Greg talks about his Air Force career as an EOD Officer, his influences and leadership style. We learned about his transition after the military and how he never lost sight of the importance of serving. Greg has been a positive influence for various EOD organizations and countinues to advocate for...

Send us Fan Mail Navy EOD Couple Heath & Elaine Brewer share their story with Mike and Sherri. This candid conversation is about their journey together in the military,  how they overcame challenges and found their way to balance in their lives. Heath describes his career as an EOD tech,  Elaine shares her experience as a spouse, their journey through NICOE (National Intrepid Center of Excelle...

Send us Fan Mail Mike and Sherri had a great discussion with the CVSO/Division Director Veterans Service Officer,  Beatrice Love-Moore. Beatrice is located in Okaloosa County here in the Panhandle of Florida. She talks about being a Navy Veteran, the importance of getting established with the VA prior to discharge or retirement. She encourages everyone to exercise patience, and also speaks about n...

Send us Fan Mail Our conversation with  SGM US Army (Ret) Mike Vining was awesome. We enjoyed learning about his career,  love for adventure, traveling with his wife Donna, and  his dedication in being a  key contributor to preserving  EOD History.  Mike talks about his early days in EOD, his assignment to Delta Force, and what Veteran's Day means to him .  Books: Annapurna: The First Conques...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for our conversation with Jeff Truex , Chairman of After the Long Walk, an online EOD peer to peer support group. Jeff is retired Army EOD and this all volunteer organization  has been instrumental in reducing suicide within the EOD community. These volunteers answer the call 24/7 and provide a much needed voice  on the other end of the line.   You will learn why the organ...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for an informative interview with Col (ret) Mike Evans  and Major Aaron Foist, both US Army EOD.  They share insight on  the  Brain Blast Injury Prevention Initiative; this initiative involves  EOD leadership, EOD Caucus, DOD, Congress and Scientific Researchers.  They are collaborating to gain a better understanding of the effects on the brain after blast exposure(s). The...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for a fun interview with Melanie Moore, Education Director of Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation located in Destin, Florida.  Melanie  shares her passion for art by connecting with the local Veteran community. She talks about the meditative practice of Zentangle Art and various health benefits that art can bring to your life.  Art is good for the Heart!  Resources:  www.zentangl...

Send us Fan Mail Sherri and Ken had a great conversation and covered many subjects. They talked about a his Naval career, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy and more.  We discussed the importance of setting goals, how he defines success, the history of Boulder Crest Foundation, and the implementation of PATHH (Progressive Alternative Training for Healing Heroes. Ken gives some solid advice to new EOD...

Send us Fan Mail This week, you will learn about our Director of EOD Memorial Care & Events, Melissa "Mo" Tackitt; Director of Programs, Sherri Beck; EOD Family Caseworker, Mike Mack; and Marketing and Scholarship Coordinator, Caroline Miller. These conversations highlight their important roles with the EODWF and a little personality too! This concludes our Team Interviews, thank you...

Send us Fan Mail Part 1 - Meet the EOD Warrior Foundation Team! This episode consists of three interviews highlighting our Executive Director, Nicole Motsek; Development Officer, Patricia Adelmann and Accountant, Jaclyn Diep.  Listen and learn about their important roles with the EODWF, what motivates them, and a few personal touches too!  Resources:  www.eodwarriorfoundation.org  Support the show...

Send us Fan Mail Mike and I had a wonderful time chatting with Mary Judd, co-founder of the non-profit organization, Songwriting with Soldiers. The discussion is focused on the creative connection that everyone can have through music, regardless if you are a veteran, active duty service member or a member of the civilian community. Mary explains how Songwriting with Soldiers came to be, their miss...

Send us Fan Mail Listen to Melissa's story of her journey as a military spouse, caregiver, mother, their transition from military to civilian life, positive experiences with the Asheville VA and the support of a great community. Everyone has their own story, this is hers.  A story of hope and encouragement. Enjoy!!     Resources:     The Day After He Left for Iraq - author Melissa Seligman   ...