Tango Alpha Lima Podcast

Operation Frequent Wind: Remembering the end of the Vietnam War THE INTERVIEW Air Force veteran Josh White hosts the award-winning podcast Hero Front, which focuses on mental health awareness and resiliency. Josh shares inspiring stories of veterans, authors, entrepreneurs, business leaders and other heroes. The storytelling podcast emerged from White’s 20-year military career in the U.S. Air Forc...

American Legion Family Day THE INTERVIEW Navy veteran Vic Martin struggled after suffering a brain injury, receiving mental health diagnoses and being medically retired. After hitting bottom and attempting suicide, Martin now dedicates his life to helping others find their purpose and the mental health care they need. SCUTTLEBUTT World Autism Awareness month: Neurodivergent Veterans Florida Americ...

Marine Corps veteran Hank Donigan has survived brain cancer and coped with severe PTSD. He has transformed personal adversity into extraordinary achievement. On Monday, April 21, Donigan will complete his 500th marathon at the 2025 Boston Marathon, a testament to his resilience and dedication. SCUTTLEBUTT How Comic Legend Mel Brooks Defused Land Mines During World War II The worst military smells...

Remembering the anniversary of the fall of Baghdad THE INTERVIEW Kyle Hausmann-Stokes won the 2024 South by Southwest Audience Award for his directorial debut of the feature film "My Dead Friend Zoe," which he also co-wrote and produced. The film is a creative take on the post-war experience and a tribute to veterans of all generations. Hausmann-Stokes, who served as a paratrooper with the Army in...

April is American Legion Children & Youth Month THE INTERVIEW Retired Marine Corps veteran Robert Yarnall talks about leadership, preventing veteran suicide and more. Throughout his career, he has mentored veterans, athletes and others through leadership lessons he was taught in the military. As vice president of Development and Impact for the Robert Irvine Foundation, he focuses on preventing...

National Medal of Honor Day THE INTERVIEW Access to food, childcare, transportation, mental health resources, social connection and more are key issues facing veterans in their first year transitioning out of the military. Air Force veteran Abby Kinch shares how Student Veterans of America is addressing these needs with its Basic Needs and Wellness Survey. SCUTTLEBUTT The first Americans to earn t...

When veterans return to the civilian world, they often encounter challenges related to employment and mental health. That’s where having a tribe can be a game changer. Retired Army Col. Adam Rocke and retired Army Gen. Paul Funk II share how finding a tribe can help with improving mental health, finding a job and more on this week’s episode of Tango Alpha Lima. ALSO IN THIS EPISODE We Can Do It! R...

Sleep expert Dr. Tina Burke shares her experience working with veterans, first responders and others who have trouble sleeping and provides tips on how to improve sleep including meditation, breathing techniques and establishing a routine. SCUTTLEBUTT Anna Coleman Ladd: the American woman who sculpted new faces for battle-scarred WWI vets The Healing Benefits of Humor and Laughter National Debunki...

Retired Col. Sam Whitehurst found his purpose during his nearly 30 years in the Army. Whitehurst developed a passion for uplifting and developing the soldiers around him. That experience smoothed his civilian transition to his role at the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services where he helps veterans and their families. Whitehurst discusses all this and more as the special guest on this w...

What's on the menu for “Let’s All Eat Right” day THE INTERVIEW Dr. Columbus Batiste honed his skills as a cardiologist while working for the VA. He is working to reduce the number of deaths from heart disease, which surpassed 702,000 in 2022. In celebration of Heart Health Month, he joins the Tango Alpha Lima podcast to share how veterans can protect their hearts to live longer, healthier lives. S...

Celebrating National Vet Girls Rise Day THE INTERVIEW Army veteran John Davis lives in the Dominican Republic, scuba dives, plays golf and works as a veteran advocate. In this episode, he shares what veterans need to know about the process to move abroad, what to do in advance, how to take care of their health care, mental wellness and much more. SCUTTLEBUTT New bill would make it easier for veter...

Army 1st Lt. Austin von Letkemann, better known to his Instagram followers as MandatoryFunDay, shares his unusual rise to fame on the podcast. His Instagram channel, with 20 million monthly views, features comedy videos that poke fun at various parts of military life. SCUTTLEBUTT Medals of Honor, delayed nearly 120 years due to administrative issues, to be posthumously delivered to desendants. VA...

Stacy, Joe and Adam look forward to the holidays and observances in February, including African American History Month, International Women’s Day, Valentines Day, Change Your Password Day, and GI Joe Day. THE INTERVIEW After making history, Kamin Samuel struggled upon leaving the military. Now she is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and documentary filmmaker of “Courage to Thrive.” SCUTTLEBUTT...

California Legion members standing strong and supporting communities devastated by wildfires. THE INTERVIEW Patrick Murphy, who joined the Army at 19, worked his way up to become the 32nd Army Under Secretary and America’s first Iraq War veteran to serve in Congress. Today, he continues to serve his brothers and sisters. SCUTTLEBUTT Happy Birthday Coast Guard How Navy veteran Charles Sanna changed...

American Folk singer-songwriter and author Mary Gauthier talks about her addiction recovery, mental health journey and how she uses songwriting to help veterans with PTSD. She works with veterans on their healing through songwriting with SongwritingWith:Soldiers. “What I try to emphasize is that this can be of service to other people — a lifeline actually, which it often is.” SCUTTLEBUTT VA awards...

Retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Col. Lee Ellis, who was shot down and captured during the Vietnam War, talks about leadership and team building lessons he learned during his five years as a prisoner of war, as well as throughout his military service and his 25 years as a leadership coach. SCUTTLEBUTT Now is the time to plan for the 100th Anniversary of American Legion Baseball NASA Scientists...

We kick off the new year with a few resolutions and a memory of Sammi, the Iraqi interpreter who worked with Joe and his Marines. THE INTERVIEW Mazin Mozan, who served as an interpreter with Stacy in Iraq shares his story of serving with Coalition forces, gaining a Special Immigrant Visa and moving to the United States, and his enlistment in the U.S. Army. SCUTTLEBUTT Norwegian fishermen accidenta...

Navy veteran and Legionnaire Kelley Gilberry shares his knowledge about overcoming heart disease and obesity. After his own health journey, Gilberry is now on a mission to show others how to revolutionize their health without relying on pharmaceuticals. SCUTTLEBUTT Post Falls, Idaho American Legion offering free Christmas trees for veterans Keokuk, Iowa Post 41 hosts 52nd annual Christmas Dinner o...

THE INTERVIEW National Military Family Association CEO Besa Pinchotti talks about her family roots in Kosovo, and how her time as a journalist led to her advocacy for American military families. She also explains how NMFA helps meet the immediate needs for military spouses and children as well as advocate for legislation to make permanent changes to support military families. SCUTTLEBUTT Next year...

Wives of the Armed forces co-founders and content creators, Jen Ferrell and Kirst Navaroli, talk about their unique corner of the internet where thousands of military spouses share experiences as they live the chaotic military lifestyle, support their spouses, one another, and the mission. Jen and Kirst share how they became military spouses, how they met and found themselves leaning on one anothe...

Department of Veterans Affairs Chief of Innovation, Dr. Indra Sandal, tells the story of how she became a U.S. citizen, why she was drawn to work with veterans and what led to her work to bring new innovations to VA health care. Dr. Sandal talks about how her work led to VA rideshare programs with Uber and Lyft. She also talks about VA's collaboration with MIT – the Veterans Health Hackathon –...

Abraham Lincoln and the first Thanksgiving THE INTERVIEW Dr. Uma Naidoo, nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutritional biologist and author, shares her knowledge of how our diets affect our brains and mental wellness. Dr. Naidoo also talks about the connection between food, culture and community, how to make small modifications that make family favories into healthier choices, and how s...

Happy Birthday to the Kindle. THE INTERVIEW Air Force veteran and author Ethan Brown is a Senior Fellow for Defense Studies at the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress (CSPS), a bipartisan think-tank in Washington D.C. He is also the author of the “Visual Friendlies, Tally Target” trilogy (Casemate Publishers), chronicling the role of forward air controllers and Close Air Support...

Retired Air Force physician, Dr. Mary Anne Kiel, is a Pediatrician and a Food for Life Instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Her work with Lifestyle and Performance medicine has helped servicemembers and their families learn how to make sustainable behavioral changes that improve health and wellness over the course of their lifetime. Dr. Kiel discusses how being active...

We're dropping this episode a few days early in honor of election day. While The American Legion is a non-partisan organization, we have, since our earliest days, believed in the right to vote. Our "Get Out the Vote" program encourages all Americans to register and vote in all elections. In addition, Legionnaires, posts, districts and departments are encouraged to fully involve themselves in the e...