Echoes Unfiltered

In this episode of Echoes Unfiltered, I sit down with Andrew Ludwig and Eric Schmieder, two brothers in arms from Second Platoon who served in Ramadi, Iraq. We talk about route clearance, IEDs, Saddam’s Mosque, the Predator, Husky blasts, Route Michigan, the Anbar Awakening, and what it was like going outside the wire day after day. But this one is not just war stories. We also get into what happe...

This Fourth of July, I wanted to take a few minutes to remember what freedom has cost. America has stood for 250 years through war, sacrifice, failure, faith, correction, and perseverance. This country is not perfect, but it is worth remembering, worth defending, worth praying over, and worth living in a way that honors those who gave everything. Freedom was paid for by real people. Soldiers. Fami...

Episode 50 of Echoes Unfiltered features Chappy — Chaplain Robert Kinnune. This conversation is about faith, war, brotherhood, and what it means to carry peace into places built on chaos. Chappy was there with us in Ramadi, praying with the men, walking through the weight, and bringing a steady presence when everything around us was anything but steady. We talk about the role of a chaplain, the co...

In Episode forty-nine of Echoes Unfiltered, airing June twentieth, Sam sits down with David “DJ” Engel, a fellow Ramadi veteran, to bring back one of the earlier conversations from the show. DJ served in Second Platoon while Sam was in First Platoon, and together they look back on Ramadi, Iraq, brotherhood, family, loss, healing, and the weight that comes home after war. This conversation is hones...

This early Echoes Unfiltered conversation with Matt Thornton is being brought back as part of the final stretch of Season One. Matt served in law enforcement with a Northern Illinois police department while I was working nearby in another Northern Illinois agency. In this conversation, he opens up about depression, faith, and the moment God stepped into one of the darkest points of his life. He al...

Today on Echoes Unfiltered, I’m bringing back a powerful conversation with SSG Bell. This was originally one of the early episodes of the show, but the conversation deserved a fresh release. Bell and I talk about Ramadi, healing, the echoes that still linger, and our brother CPL Stephen Shannon, who was serving under Bell’s leadership when he was taken from us. We remember the good times, we talk...

In Episode 46 of Echoes Unfiltered, I sit down with Sparky, a Navy EOD veteran I served with in Ramadi. We talk about route clearance, IEDs, EOD calls, the Husky rescue, leadership under pressure, dark humor, and the things veterans carry long after the mission ends. This episode is more than war stories. It is about survival, brotherhood, memory, and why talking about it matters. For more about m...

Joe deployed to Ramadi, Iraq in 2007 as a young Marine and spent the next year living in survival mode during one of the most volatile periods of the war. In this episode, he talks about working alongside Iraqi locals during the Anbar Awakening, coming home after deployment, losing the military support system overnight, and trying to reconnect with life back home. The conversation also dives into...

Mike joins Echoes Unfiltered for a raw conversation about Afghanistan, military life, brotherhood, dark humor, and the things veterans carry long after they come home. No scripts. No filters. Just real conversation about war, identity, memories, and life after service. Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

Josh Elarde deployed to Afghanistan with the Dodgeville unit as part of a route clearance team. He shares his experience with IED strikes, the constant threat of ambush, and how that mindset followed him home. We talk about PTSD, adjusting to life after deployment, and the challenge of leaving the military mindset behind when it comes to family and everyday life. You can order my book, now availab...

Episode 41 drops with Roy Wylie — a veteran who served 37 years between the Army and Department of the Army civilian service. From Desert Storm to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Roy saw the evolution of war firsthand. Soft-skin convoys, IED threats, convoy security, and the shift from early war chaos to heavily armored operations. But the real story isn’t just the deployments. It’s what came after...

Mac is back for Part 2. We finish what got cut short during the tornado warning and go deeper into the realities behind the uniform. We talk about Billmeyer and the lasting impact of his injuries, the weight of leadership, and what it really looks like to take care of your people. We also get into something most don’t talk about enough. Knowing when it’s time to step away. Mac is retiring at 20, n...

In this episode of Echoes Unfiltered, Sam sits down with Travis “Mac” McCullough, a fellow soldier from the Dodgeville unit, to talk about his deployment to Afghanistan. Mac shares what it was like running route clearance missions, surviving a grenade attack, and working alongside SEAL Team 10. He also reflects on leadership, purpose, and moments where faith became real in the middle of combat. Th...

Jerry Heim, the voice behind Blue Cord CSM and the BootsandChutesUnfiltered podcast, joins Echoes Unfiltered to share his 30-year journey through the Marine Corps and Army, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major. We talk about combat, leadership, the transition home, and the reality many veterans face when the mission ends but the fight doesn’t. This is a raw conversation about service, identity, an...

I sit down with Kevin, also known as Lt. Fire Duck, who served in Ramadi during the same time period. We talk about his path into service, what he experienced overseas, and what life has looked like since coming home. This is an honest, unfiltered conversation about war, transition, and what it takes to keep moving forward. You can order my book, now available on Amazon: Echoes from the Sandbox by...

In Episode 37 of Echoes Unfiltered, Leo Beach joins me for a powerful conversation about trauma, healing, and why men need to start talking about the things we usually keep buried. Leo shares personal experiences and the lessons he’s learned about facing pain instead of hiding from it. Conversations like this remind us that none of us are carrying these burdens alone. You can order my book, now av...

In this episode I sit down with Army veteran Joe Nichols. Joe deployed to Afghanistan and opens up about something most men struggle to talk about. While he was deployed, his brother was killed in Afghanistan not far from where he was serving. We talk about loss, grief, brotherhood, and why keeping things bottled up doesn’t work. Joe shares his story honestly because he believes talking about it h...

In this episode, I sit down with John Levin for an honest conversation about service, life experiences, and the stories that stay with us long after the uniform comes off. Echoes Unfiltered is about real conversations with veterans, first responders, and people who have lived through extraordinary experiences. No scripts. No filters. Just honest dialogue. You can order my book, now available on Am...

In this episode, I’m joined by Army veteran and former platoon leader Lieutenant Alec Z. We served in different wars, but the brotherhood and the weight that follows are the same. We talk about route clearance in Afghanistan, leading soldiers in combat, coming home to a different kind of battle, and why the buddy checks don’t stop when the war ends. This is a real conversation about service, survi...

In Episode 33 of Echoes Unfiltered, I sit down with Marine veteran Seth Mahoney. Seth opens up about his deployment to Iraq, the struggles that followed after coming home, and the road that led him through addiction and prison. But this isn’t just a story about falling — it’s a story about redemption. We talk about faith, consequences, brotherhood, and the reality that no one is beyond a second ch...

This is a different kind of episode. For the first time, Sam and his wife Lynn sit down together and talk openly about their marriage, the years of silence, the truth that finally came out, and what it took to rebuild something that almost fell apart. This isn’t an interview. It’s a real conversation between two people who chose honesty when it would’ve been easier to stay quiet. If you’ve ever wo...

In this episode, I sit down with Marine veteran Dustin. We talk about why he joined at 17, deploying to Iraq, and what life looked like after coming home. Like many of us, his path didn’t end with the military. It carried into law enforcement and the long road of figuring out life after war. We get into the stuff most people don’t talk about. The shift in identity. The loss of brotherhood. Why tru...

Chief Warrant Officer Bill Hatounian flew UH-1 gunships in Vietnam with D Troop, 1/4 Cavalry — Darkhorse. We talk combat aviation, Hueys, life under fire, transitioning home, and continuing to serve through a career in law enforcement. Bill also shares about his writing and current work at mynoveltales.com. These are the stories that deserve to be heard. If you'd like to know more about my sto...

Jay is a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry machine gunner who deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 and later returned overseas as a contractor. In this conversation, he opens up about combat, ROE, ambushes, burn pits, health concerns, and the difficult transition back to civilian life. This is the kind of conversation many veterans never get to have out loud. Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered. You...

In this full-length episode, I sit down with Alex Sonnenfelt, a combat engineer and Husky driver who deployed to Afghanistan after our time together in Dodgeville. We talk about route clearance operations, GPR systems, working with coalition forces, and what it feels like to carry the responsibility of protecting your guys every single day. We also get real about coming home. The anger. The discon...