Echoes Unfiltered

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...

In this episode of Echoes Unfiltered , I sit down with Bill Christensen, a fellow Ramadi veteran, to talk about combat, survival, and the long road to healing after being critically injured by an IED. Bill shares what it was like to wake up with no memory of the blast, how recovery unfolded physically and mentally, and the role faith, family, and brotherhood played in rebuilding life after war. Th...

“22 veterans a day” gets repeated so often it loses its weight. This episode puts the weight back where it belongs. On the people. On the silence. On the truth about what many veterans carry long after the uniform comes off. This is a conversation about isolation, brotherhood, and why staying connected matters more than having the right words. If this reaches you at the right time, you’re not alon...

In this full episode of Echoes Unfiltered , Sam Stratton sits down with Jay Kroeplin , a Buffalo arm operator from Ramadi. Jay breaks down what it really meant to run the Buffalo, the level of trust inside a route clearance crew, and the mistakes that could get people hurt or killed. Jay also walks through the mission where Mitch, Ski, and Bill were hit, what he saw that day, and the moments that...

In Episode 27 of Echoes Unfiltered , I sit down with Army veteran Jason Madaus for an honest conversation about service, trauma, and rebuilding life after Iraq. Jason shares what it was like deploying early in the war, surviving a Christmas Day mortar attack, and living with lasting physical and mental injuries. We talk about the long road home, fitness as a coping tool, navigating the VA system,...

In Part Two of Sam’s conversation with Richard, the discussion moves from reflection into responsibility. This half focuses on faith, accountability, and what it looks like to move forward honestly when life does not offer clean answers or quick fixes. We talk about growth, integrity, and the long work of becoming who you are meant to be instead of staying stuck in who you have been. This is where...

At some point, every grown man has to face this truth: no one is coming to save you. Not the perfect timing. Not the right feeling. Not someone else stepping in to fix it. That realization isn’t hopeless. It’s empowering. When you stop waiting for permission, motivation, or rescue, you start moving. You start owning your choices, your discipline, and your next step. This Echo Short is a reminder t...

In Part One of Episode 25, Sam sits down with Richard for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the things we carry but rarely talk about. This is not a polished story or a highlight reel. It’s a real discussion about life, responsibility, faith, and the quiet weight that builds when hard truths go unspoken. We talk about showing up as you are, the cost of avoidance, and why healing begins with...