Mentors for Military Podcast

The story of three Royal Marines and one Royal Engineer strapped to two Apache Helicopters and dodging Taliban fire -- a daring rescue of one of their own. The Apaches were nearly out of fuel before they lifted off on the rescue mission. Capt. Dave Rigg MC was the Royal Engineer who along with 3 Royal Marines helped rescue Lance Corporal Ford from a heavily fortified Taliban fort. This is a rescue...

We never know what good may come from out of the ashes of combat, but in this case former US Army Ranger Greg Anderson was able to give peace to the family of a fallen soldier. Through the process, he also found his own peace. Robert is a retired US Army Armor and Recruiter/Retention MSG turned Fortune 50 executive; Paul Martinez is a retired US Army Ranger and sniper who served with 3rd BN, 75th...

A must listen for anyone who deployed or knows someone who deployed in support of the Global War on Terror (GWOT). In 2006, an official risk assessment conducted by Air Force Personnel titled “Burn Pit Hazards” at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, was “the worst environmental site I have personally visited” and continued to list items witnessed being burned in high quantities including plastics, Styrofoam a...

At times the noise in the system won't allow us an opportunity to prove our worth based solely on our personal effort and merit. What we can control is our own actions and in remaining true to ourselves. Savannah Chase joined Robert Gowin and Patty Collins on this episode. Savannah enlisted into the United States Marine Corps and initially became an ammunition technician in Okinawa for two years b...

"He who knows his life is not about him, but rather about those he serves, is indeed heroic" Jason Valadao currently serves in the United States Navy as a Family and Sports Medicine physician. From Officer Candidate School to life in the air and on aircraft carriers as a Naval Flight Officer during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, his journey has been full of life-altering experiences that h...

“I assign a purpose for everything that happens in my life.” —Neil Donald Walsh Scot Spooner joined us back in Episode 186. He’s a former Delta Heavy Breacher and Special Forces operator who after 17 years of service left the military to pursue his ambitions in business. In 2013, he started his own consulting company that advises in the area of executive leadership and has been featured as a speak...

It's easy to allow others to dictate your direction and where you should go in life. For some, it happens at an early age and the person may not know how to break the cycle. But, find your courage and go after your dreams. Alex Weir served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps before recently separating. While serving as a specialized radio operator, she applied for assignment or attachment to MARSO...

Stephen Burns was a Royal Marine and member of the UK Special Forces for 15 years. He served on operations around the globe and he later left the military due to the strain of this high tempo career. Stephen was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for his bravery in action in Afghanistan and in this episode, Stephen sits down with us to talk about his military career and how he lost not only himself a...

A-type personalities are driven. They push themselves to the limit, are driven to come out on top, and expect no less from everyone around them. The businessdirectory.com site describes them this way: "A-type personalities have a temperament characterized by excessive ambition, aggression, competitiveness, drive, impatience, need for control, focus on quantity over quality and unrealistic sense of...

"You can't teach experience." -- Nikki Domenique (Nikki) Selby is a retired U.S. Navy Nurse Corps Officer with over 23 years of service. She spent the first 10 years of service as a Hospital Corpsman to include 8 years as a Search and Rescue Corpsman, where she was the only female serving in that community during a majority of that time. Domenique went on to become a commissioned officer through t...

"Opinions are debated; beliefs are stated." -- Scot Spooner Robert Gowin, Erich Martin, and Tom Satterly welcomed Scot Spooner to the podcast this week. We first talk about Scot's military career where he was a breacher for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta, and then we get into a deeper discussion on what it means to be free -- truly free. After 17 years of service, Scot left the mi...

Many of us go through life aspiring to lead others, yet the key to success is knowing how and when to follow. Robert Gowin, Paul Martinez, Erich Martin, and Alejandra (AJ) Avila discuss this topic and offer tips to help you become a better leader. Robert is a retired US Army Armor and Recruiter/Retention MSG turned Fortune 50 executive; Erich Martin is a recently retired US Army Special Forces MSG...

Shawn Ryan is a former US Navy SEAL who served with SEAL Teams 2 and 8 deploying to multiple conflict zones and fighting in both OIF (Iraq) and OEF (Afghanistan). After leaving the US Navy and Navy Special Warfare Community, Shawn continued to serve his country as a CIA Contractor involved in US intelligence clandestine operations. Robert is a retired US Army Armor and Recruiter/Retention MSG turn...

Regarding the last chapter of his book Making a Nightstalker: "Helping someone else who was in your same position, is worth it." --David Burnett David Burnett is a former U.S. Army chinook crew chief who served with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) with multiple deployments. We originally talked with David about how he became a Nightstalker in Episode 129. In this episode, Dav...

“Your mind is exponentially stronger than your body and if there is something you want to do; your mind will enable your body to find a way” -- Patty Collins, Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.) Many of us would probably never think of amputating a portion of our leg in order to remain on active duty and continue being an athlete, but that is exactly the decision Patty made when faced with a decision follow...

Have you ever wondered what happens when you get a Green Beret, a Delta Force operator, a Ranger, and a Navy SEAL in a room to talk about their training pipeline and background? You'll want to tune in to find out. ______ Robert is a retired US Army Armor and Recruiter/Retention MSG turned Fortune 50 executive; Mike Pritts is a retired Special Forces CSM with 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne); T...

Jeff Tiegs spent 28 years in the U.S. Army starting out as a Ranger in 1st Bn, 75th Ranger Regiment and 2nd Bn, 75th Ranger Regiment before attending selection and becoming a Special Forces officer with 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He then attended selection and became an operator of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), commonly referred to as Delta Force, Com...

Mike Wisecup is a retired U.S. Navy Commander and SEAL with multiple combat deployments. He served as the aide to camp to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey. He was on the ground during the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and then returned in 2010 to help rebuild. Wisecup was the new guy on SEAL Team 1 when our cadre host Michael Rutledge was already a seasoned SEAL with that...

In the words of Freddie Mercury and Queen: "Pressure pushing down on me, Pressing down on you, no man ask for, Under pressure that burns a building down, Splits a family in two, Puts people on streets Chipping around, kick my brains around the floor, These are the days it never rains but it pours". Sometimes the pressure around us is too much, or at least that is how it seems to us. In this episod...

Before Brad was kicking in doors and hunting down bad guys with 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment and later as a Tier 1 operator in “The Unit” (aka CAG or Delta Force) over the span of his 20-year U.S. Army career, he was shredding the frets on his guitar. He deployed 8 total times in support of combat operations in Mogadishu Somalia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Now he’s form...

The odds are pretty good that you've watched Netflix's series Stranger Things before. In the recent series, Jennifer Marshall played the mother of the character "Max". She's also been on hit television shows Hawaii Five-O, Timeless, Game Shakers, and others. She joined the U.S. Navy directly after high school and spent five years serving as an aircraft handler, forklift operator, logistics special...

It's not often that we run across someone who goes from being a U.S. Navy SEAL and who then switch branches to the U.S. Army and become a 160th SOAR pilot! Meet Michael Rutledge and listen to his amazing story of how he was able to live a life of no regret. CW4 Michael G. Rutledge is the current Commander, 2nd Aviation Detachment, USMA as well as an MX400 instructor and mentor for the West Point F...

As a leader, building team cohesion and trust is a must. Trust is the foundation on which a leader can build on. In this episode, we are joined by Blayne Smith. In January 2009, Smith, then a Detachment Commander for the 3rd Special Forces Group, headed to Afghanistan. It was during this deployment that Smith lost several teammates, with one really hitting him hard. He shares this story and how di...

Perception is reality. In today's society and the jury of the public opinion, once people create a perception about you, it becomes reality. It then becomes harder to sway their first impression or opinion. Our daily lives are flooded with "influencers" who attempt to use their opinions as facts and try to share why you should take their opinion as the only truth. In this episode we are joined by...

Having a feeling of losing your 'tribe' and your sense of identity is difficult. Isolation, depression, and anger can easily creep in. In this episode, we are joined by Jonathan Lambert and we dive into the world under the sea and discuss the challenges of homecoming and belonging. It is a problem many veterans face post military. “Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they m...