Operation Encore: Soldiers, Stories, and Songs

You can't have a conversation with Tyree Woods without leaving with a smile on your face. The man with the infectious smile and positive attitude has had his share of trials and tribulations. During this episode of the OE podcast, Tyree describes growing up in Muskegon Heights, MI  as a biracial kid, and how foster care helped him forge the resiliency necessary to adapt to a Army life.  A vet...

Meet Brian Boland - Half Redneck, Half Surfer, and all-American active-duty C-130 pilot.  During episode #16 of the OE  podcast, Brian tells about his adventures in the Coast Guard, from "Flying back from Gitmo yesterday", to conducting  iceberg reconnaissance, surfing while watchin 50 caliber machine guns, and conducting 11-ton cocaine drug busts.  In his off time from helping stabilize...

In this episode of the OE podcast, Guy Jaquier and Adam Rossi interview Operation Encore Co-Founder Erik Brine. Erik describes the history of OE and how it grew from an idea between friends into a successful non-profit that serves over 25 veteran musicians and performs at events throughout the county. An Air Force Reserve pilot Colonel and former , Erik describes why he tells people he's been...

During this episode of Soldiers, Stories, and Songs, Dani Figueroa describes how 9/11 altered her life and led her from pursuing a professional soccer career to becoming a Heavy Vehicle Operator and a veteran of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.   A  former member of both the Army Reserves and the Marine Corps, Dani describes returning home with significant combat injuri...

During this episode of Soldiers, Stories, and Songs, Fleet Marine Force Hospital Corpsman and rocker Shannon Book describes his journey from Hazel Green, Ky to the battlefields of Fallujah, the aftermath that left him on the verge of taking his life, and the own personal story of recovery from PTSD. During the session with Guy and Adam, Shannon highlights three songs that he performs unplugged.  &...

During this special deployed edition of Operation Encore, Co-founder (and active-duty Colonel) Rob Raymond talks with Adam Rossi from an undisclosed location in the Middle East. During the podcast, Rob describes the origins of Operation Encore and how veteran musicians gravitate toward one another, especially during deployments.  His current deployment is no different.  Rob introduces the audience...

Meet Keith Broecker, a former Air Force pilot who used his guitar and quick wit to convince a cadre of instructor pilots he was worth keeping around....leading to an aviation career that spans Learjets, Tankers, Spy planes, and your next United flight (eventually). During the podcast, Keith opens up about how the Air Force culture deals with death, how the "dreaded" assignment to Grand F...

During an appropriately social distanced Podcast, former Air Force Air Battle Manager Theresa Bowman describes life as a business owner during the current pandemic and she always tries to build-others up during times of crisis.  A prolific Ukulele player and one half of a a dual-service marriage, Theresa describes some of her early adventures as a fan of the (*Cough*) Australian entertainment indu...

Meet Jerry Maniscalco -- Annapolis graduate, former SH-60B Helicopter Pilot, University of Michigan business school graduate and Operation Encore singer-songwriter with the Dave Matthews sound.  During the podcast, Jerry describes how he received his callsign "Toothless", his escapades in the North Atlantic, Central America and the Middle East. Along the way, he plays acoustic versions o...

Former Marine and Dayton native Zack Sliver is one of the most authentic people you'll ever meet. A son of a pastor, his life has been an exercise in mental toughness and service to others as he's grown from "Angry Young and Poor" to "A Place to Call [HIs] Own". Zack leads Guy Jaquier and Adam Rossi through an incredible set of experiences in his young life -- from se...

In this special episode, Operation Encore advisory board member Tom Luce describes his incredible musical career and how he went from painting houses to touring across the nation in sold-out venues. Tom describes the challenges of his early career, how he felt peace in the silent moments driving across the country, how he moved from the success of one song to a vibrant career, and how through it a...

Former Navy meteorologist and singer-songwriter Logan Vath tells about his experiences in the Navy and life as a singer-songwriter.  During the podcast, Logan shares tells about his love for his hometown of Scott's Bluff Nebraska, drinking beer in a field (he never participated), his 159 day journey aboard the USS Nassau (he was robbed of a record), avoiding Bob Dylan (he eventually relented)...

A former combat medic who served two tours in Iraq during the "surge", Stephen Covell is a gifted, authentic storyteller with an incredible voice that carries lyrics with vivid imagery that stays with you long after the song ends, begging you to hit "repeat". During episode #5 of the OE podcast, Adam Rossi and Guy Jaquier introduce the audience to Stephen, a hyperactive kid who...

A rising country artist and 3rd-generation veteran out of Provo, Utah, The Real Doug Lane describes the origin of "The Real" part of his name, the trials of growing up under challenging circumstances and the lessons learned from a family of veterans.  During the interview, Doug explains the story behind the song "Faces" and the impacts of his grandfather's struggle with Al...

Military spouse and Kentucky native Rachel Harvey Hill sits down with Adam Rossi and Guy Jaquier and discusses life as a military spouse. During the chat, she shares her introduction to military life with her future husband, the impacts and fears of 911, getting through deployments as a spouse and the impacts of military life on her kids. Along the way, she shares advice for other military spouses...

Steve D. Wilson is an award-winning singer-songwriter and a veteran of both the Army and the Air Force. The son of a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, he served for 16 years as an Army paratrooper and a B-52 Electronic Warfare instructor. Steve has created a unique style with a driving beat and authentic lyrics developed from his experiences in life and the military. His music is an autobio...

Operation Encore is a non-profit veteran service organization that helps veteran artists get noticed in the music industry while advocating for veterans through the powerful medium of original music.   A folk musician based out of Utah, Andrew Wiscombe’s style has been referred to as foot-stompin’ street music. He showcases his musical talents in one-man band fashion, playing up to five instrument...