Choices Not Chances Podcast

In the past 12-18 months, the Marine Corps has had some divisive remarks penned concerning the adaptation of the force. Retired Generals and warfighters have been expressing concern over the New Force Design. There are several articles bashing the new design and others that show passive-aggressive concern.  I was interested in understanding the “why” behind some of the changes, so I began to inves...

This episode is with Bradley Williams. He is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant who was called into the ministry. As he moved out of the Corps and into his walk with Christ, Bradley had yet another call to service. After consulting his family at home and in the church, he decided to run for the Onslow county school board. Many of the Camp Lejeune Warfighters in North Carolina have children in the p...

Shawn Waterman is a Marine, a fitness coach, and a positive influence on all who come in contact with him. We had a great conversation about life and the future. Don't miss this episode.

Judson Brandeis is an award-winning urologist and sexual medicine expert, clinical researcher, physician educator, and caring clinician and surgeon. He joins the show to discuss everything from marijuana to low testosterone numbers, to the effects of blast waves on vital organs. Join in and follow along!

Ty Davis was Ryan's very first platoon Sergeant when he arrived at F.A.S.T. Company in 2005. Ryan learned many things from then Gunny Davis. He joins the Podcast to spread the knowledge of a career spent training, leading, and mentoring young Marines. you do not want to miss this episode!

Chris Jones joins the show to talk about his journey through a career in the Air Force as a JTAC, serving with multiple different Army and Marine Corps SF teams. His team members describe him as a force multiplier with an infectious attitude and smile. Chris is a humble warrior, who was made for the job. He now resides on the west coast and works for the Benchmade  Knife Company, overseeing t...

Wayne Phelps is the author of the book " On Killing Remotely- The Psychology of Killing with Drones". He is a retired LtCol. in the United States Marines, who spent time at the end of his career with RPAs (remote piloted aircraft). We talk about his career as well as great conversation ranging from the book contents to the proliferation of drones on the battlefield. Join the conversation and learn...

Master Sergeant John Rose joins the show to give a lifetime of lessons learned. John was wounded in 2010 by an IED while rigging another vehicle that had been blown up for a tow. He woke up several weeks later in a 98-degree room, in a burn center in Texas. John talks about his experiences, and the will to carry on, despite several catastrophic events. Thanks for joining us for the conversation!

URGENT***YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED***  MARSOC 3- ONGOING MURDER TRIAL  Major Fred Galvin  U.S.M.C. (RET.) Brings to light the latest details concerning the ongoing three year murder charges against 3 members of the Marine Corps Special Operations community.

When I was young I would hear frequently of my grandfather's service in the Second World War. Only it was not the type of story you would think. I would hear very little of the combat stories, even though there must have been many. He was an Army medic, and in the second World War, there was no shortage of men being hurt and killed in the most savage of ways. Instead, the stories, heroic in their...

In this episode, we talk with Joseph Froedtert, a former Marine 0311 that served almost his entire enlistment with the co-host Matt as well as a deployment with the host Ryan. We talk about his life growing up, his enlistment in Marine Corp, from Security Forces to 3rd Battalion 6th Marines in the battle of Marjah. We also cover his transition back to civilian life and his career as a truck driver...

In this episode, we talk with Joseph Froedtert, a former Marine 0311 that served almost his entire enlistment with the co-host Matt as well as a deployment with the host Ryan. We talk about his life growing up, his enlistment in Marine Corp, from Security Forces to 3rd Battalion 6th Marines in the battle of Marjah. We also cover his transition back to civilian life and his career as a truck driver...

This evening we are sitting down with a person that has been at the center of controversy and conversation for a few months now. He was jailed and removed from his job as the Battalion CO at Advanced Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry East, on Camp Lejeune; following a series of videos that were criticizing the upper echelons of the Corps.  The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanis...

Marcus Rains joins the show to talk about his time in and out of combat. We reminisce about our days pranking young bucks at the schoolhouse and discuss life. I true hero and friend. Marcus launched a new initiative not long ago, he is now in the lawn maintenance profession with his company Rains and Sons L.L.C.

Kyle O'Toole Joins the show to talk about fitness and recovery. He is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wounded Warrior Battalion - East. He is responsible for the weightlifting and recovery process for recovering service members' RSMs. This is where the nation's wounded Marine warfighters as well as the ill and injured go to get better.

Alex Tryon is an American Marine Scout Sniper. He has been in multiple theaters of operation and made some incredible impacts on his fellow brothers in arms. He fought in Syria where his element was cut off for a number of days. With a kinetic fight at hand, Alex issued out American resolve at ranges exceeding 1400 meters. This is a "can't miss" episode!

In this episode we have our first returning guest Johnny "MF" Glenn. We discuss a number of different topics from his epic ranger school story, his up coming trip to Saipan and his opinion of the current state of things in the world. If you missed his first episode check out episode 9 for more back story on this great American war fighter. Thanks for Listening.

The Vietnam generation paved the way for my generation of warfighters to get help and establish the Veterans Administration as we know it today. Some of the men from this generation chronicled their war exploits and published them for the rest of the world to know what happened there. This is/was more important than you can imagine. Without written testimony and first-hand accounts from the ground...

The Vietnam generation paved the way for my generation of warfighters to get help and establish the Veterans Administration as we know it today. Some of the men from this generation chronicled their war exploits and published them for the rest of the world to know what happened there. This is/was more important than you can imagine. Without written testimony and first-hand accounts from the ground...

In this episode, we talk with John David Rogers III. He is my older brother, a personal confidante, and someone whom I have learned a great deal from. Tonight we talk about some of the poverty-stricken areas in southern Ohio, the rise of Joe Burrow, and the things we can do and not do to set ourselves and our children up for success. This is a great episode for all who listen.

Jonathan Myers is a retired Marine with more than 20 years of Marine intelligence experience. He was in on some of the Marine Corps' most involved intelligence cases, from Edward Snowden's theft of intelligence to amphibious operations in Africa. The catalyst to our meeting however, originated in the catastrophic withdraw from Afghanistan. He joins us tonight to talk it all over.   

This episode is meant to illuminate critical after-action reports and lessons learned from the first world war. Instead of American after-actions, this is by one Captain Adolph Von Schell. "Captain Von Schell's collection of lessons learned as a small unit infantry commander during World War 1 should be part of every Marine's professional library"  -D.M. Twomey  Major General, U.S. Marin...

In this episode, we talk to Harlan "Slim" Hardy about all things "oil-field" related. We also delve into some of his side work and his artistic side.  Anyone interested in the oil field should really get a lot from this episode.

In this episode, Adam Franco talks about the experiences being raised by a firefighter in New York pre 9/11, as well as the impact that it had on him, to see his father return to New York after retirement to dig through the World Trade Center Towers rubble for survivors. This incident had a profound impact on his future. He would play football for the Merchant Marine Academy and then became commis...

In this episode, Matt and I talk about the critical nature of having a purpose in life bigger than one's self. In this vein, we talk about transition out of the ranks and filling the void. When someone exits the ranks, it is common to hear that they lose some sense of purpose. A sense of purpose was filled by serving, in whatever capacity the service was. In my own transition, it became critical t...