The Warrior's Journey

Driven by a passion for hockey, Dean Wegner joined a thriving Division I Program at West Point, becoming a US Army officer in the process. During his time there, his interest in aviation led him to become a helicopter pilot, and after a successful post-military career in business, he launched apparel company Authentically American® in 2017. Today, he joins the podcast to share the story of his lif...

Dean Wegner, West Point grad and former US Army helicopter pilot, joins the podcast once again to talk about his newest venture: Authentically American®, an all-American apparel brand! In 2017, Dean created Authentically American to help bring manufacturing jobs back to America by selling premium, competitively priced, apparel that is ALL Made in USA, no exceptions. His expertise in the apparel in...

In this episode, we welcome back a special partner of The Warrior's Journey: 2020 Bassmaster Classic Champion Hank Cherry and his wife, Jaclyn! Hank and Jaclyn have an enormous heart for the military. They acknowledge and appreciate the immense sacrifice that warriors and their families make, and are using their platform to give back to the military community.  Hank Cherry won the 2013 Elite Serie...

Josh and Paige Wetzel rejoin the podcast to continue sharing their incredible and unlikely journey of faith in the midst of traumatic loss and pain.  Paige Wetzel received the phone call that every military wife prays will never come. Her husband, Army Sergeant Josh Wetzel, stepped on an IED while patrolling in Afghanistan. The blast resulted in the immediate loss of his legs. His survival was unc...

Paige Wetzel received the phone call that every military wife prays will never come. Her husband, Army Sergeant Josh Wetzel, stepped on an IED while patrolling in Afghanistan. The blast resulted in the immediate loss of his legs. His survival was uncertain, and in the days to come, this traumatic incident began an unbelievable journey of faith for them as a couple. In this episode, you'll discover...

"Train up a child in the way he should go, a nd when he is old he will not depart from it." – Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) Chief Shannon Johnson (US Navy, Ret.) and his wife Annaliza join the podcast once again for a wide-ranging, two part conversation about raising thriving, successful children in a military context. There are no perfect families, but through the Johnson's experiences, warrior parents ev...

"Don't give up on God, 'cause He's not given up on you." After 25 years of active duty service, Chief Shannon Johnson retired from the U.S. Navy. Through multiple assignments and deployments, including Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, he enjoyed an incredible military career. However, in the midst of all of the military success were spiritual highs and lows, as he found...

We're back for Part 2 of a conversation between Kevin Weaver of The Warrior's Journey, photographer Lloyd Smith, and veteran Bill McGee as he reflects on his experiences in Vietnam. On Jan. 17th, 1969, Bill McGee was 10 months into a deployment in Vietnam when his life changed forever: during a battle in the Ben Cat district, he jumped out of his armed personnel carrier directly onto a land mine....

On Jan. 17th, 1969, Bill McGee was 10 months into a deployment in Vietnam when his life changed forever: during a battle in the Ben Cat district, he jumped out of his armed personnel carrier directly onto a land mine. The explosion cost him one of his legs, and after receiving the last of three Purple Hearts during all the action he had endured, Bill was sent home and received an artificial leg. L...

Aimee Crane-Blake, a former U.S. Army Chaplain whose father and husband also served as chaplains, has an incredibly unique perspective gained from her experiences. In Part 2 of a powerful discussion with Kevin Weaver of The Warrior's Journey, Aimee dives deeper into her personal experiences with devastating grief and loss with inspiring grace and vulnerability. Lean into this powerful conversation...

Aimee Crane-Blake joins the podcast to not only speak from her experience as the daughter of a chaplain, and the wife of a chaplain – but as a chaplain herself! As a woman with a strong military lineage who served as an active duty U.S. Army Chaplain, Aimee has an incredibly unique perspective gained from her experiences. In Part 1 of a conversation with The Warrior's Journey, she shares from her...

This week, we welcome back Captain Jeff Morris (US Army, Ret.), who shares even more of his incredible story of tragic loss and trauma, and ultimately his journey to health and wholeness. While the scars of trauma never go away completely, we can have a game-changing perspective that allows the pain of our past to propel us forward, rather than hold us back from living life to the fullest. Jeff Mo...

Captain Jeff Morris (US Army, Ret.) has a story that anyone who has experienced trauma or adversity will resonate with. Today, he joins the podcast to share some of his experiences – the highs and the lows – in a 2-part conversation with Kevin Weaver of The Warrior's Journey. Jeff Morris is a former Infantry Officer in the United States Army, serving two deployments to Baghdad, Iraq as a Platoon L...

As a senior non-commissioned officer of Delta Force, Command Sergeant Major Tom Satterly fought some of this country's most fearsome enemies. Now, he sits down to share his story with The Warrior's Journey! Over the course of twenty years and thousands of missions, Tom became a legend even among other Tier One special operators. Yet the enemy that cost him three marriages, and ruined his health ph...

"God, what do you have for me today of eternal significance for the people you've called me to serve?" This is the prayer of Chaplain Kristian Carlson (US Navy), who sat down with Kevin Weaver of The Warrior's Journey during another incredible National Chaplains Conference! In this episode, Kristian details his experience as a Navy Chaplain called to boldy and passionately serve the men and women...

Bobby Wingate enlisted in the United States Army out of high school in 1973, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division with co-host Col. Scott McChrystal! Throughout his military service, Bobby's experiences ranged from serving at the tip of the spear on night patrols in Korea, to serving behind the scenes. Through all the ups and downs, his patriotism and faith helped him maintain a readiness for any...

The Warrior's Journey welcomes Vietnam veteran and double amputee, Allen Clark, to the podcast! In this episode, Allen shares about his combat experience in Vietnam, and how faith helped him endure and overcome the crippling PTSD he experienced in its aftermath. Allen Clark graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1963. Two years later, he volunteered for service in Vietn...

Major General Patrick Brady (US Army, Ret.) knows a thing or two about courage. While serving as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War, he received the Medal of Honor (the nation's highest military decoration for valor) for incredible acts of bravery that saved countless lives. In this episode, MG Brady tells his incredible story and offers insights from his experience and perspective, helping to...

Rick Kell, Co-founder and Executive Director of Feherty's Troops First Foundation, is back to continue the conversation with Kevin Weaver and Dan Boever, this time diving deeper into the foundation's approach to help warriors discover closure and healing from their experiences in battle.  Troops First Foundation was created to develop, operate and support wellness, quality of life and event-based...

Troops First Foundation was created to develop, operate and support wellness, quality of life and event-based initiatives for post-9/11 combat-injured Warriors. These initiatives facilitate a greater recognition and an enhanced understanding of the quality and character of the men and women who volunteer to serve, their families, their daily sacrifices and the constant need to evaluate and improve...

In this episode, Kevin Weaver and Scott McChrystal of The Warrior's Journey are joined by a special guest with extensive experience not only in the military world, but the medical world as well: Major General Kenneth Farmer, M.D. (US Army, Ret.). As an experienced healthcare executive with senior leadership success both in the Military Health System and the private sector, Dr. Farmer offers practi...

In this episode, we welcome the first US Army Ranger Chaplain to appear on the podcast! Erik Alfsen serves as Army Chaplain of the entire 75th Ranger Regiment, the US Army's premier light infantry unit. Listen in as he details his military journey, sharing how he came to be an Army Chaplain, and offering relevant encouragement to warriors in all stages of life – especially during the current COVID...

Kevin Weaver, along with pro golfer and friend of The Warrior's Journey, Dan Boever, continue the conversation on navigating military life as a family unit with special guests Denton and Heather Knapp. Not only have the Knapps endured seasons of separation during times of deployment – they've also suffered heartbreaking loss, and graciously share their story with vulnerability and courage, in hope...

In this two-part edition of the podcast (conducted via a Zoom video conference during the COVID-19 pandemic) Kevin Weaver, along with pro golfer and friend of The Warrior's Journey, Dan Boever, invite special guests Denton and Heather Knapp to share their story as an Army family. Through decades of active duty experience riddled with deployments, Denton and Heather know firsthand the toll military...

With the world turned upside down in the wake of the coronavirus, TWJ CEO Kevin Weaver continues a conversation with Scott and Judy McChrystal about navigating these uncertain times by replacing fear with gratitude – shifting away from headlines of the world and toward the promises of God's word and a pursuit of His perspective. In the midst of so much global turmoil, will you choose to live in fe...