Urban Valor: the podcast

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine combat veteran, Jon Shower. Jon began his enlistment in a Marine Sniper platoon but voluntarily transferred to an infantry unit so he can deploy sooner. He served two combat tours in Iraq and was inside the first vehicle to ever get hit by a 57mm Chinese Rocket Propelled IED. Upon transitioning out of the Marine Corps, Jon slept in his car parked in...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine combat veteran, Ryan Paulk. Ryan felt obligated to serve after the 9/11 attack on America. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as an Infantry Assaultman. Ryan conducted multiple combat deployments and shared with us the time he and his unit were hunting down an enemy sniper in Fallujah as a kid who was shot in the head by the Iraqi sniper while he was ru...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Aviation Mechanic Navy Veteran,  Cesar Gallegos.  Cesar grew up in a rough gang neighborhood in Pomona, CA. He’s a first-generation Mexican American and enlisted in the Navy to be able to provide for his family. He shares a story that impacted him on his first deployment about a pilot who saved his crew but was unable to save himself. Cesar had a successful...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army combat veteran & retired Lieutenant Colonel, Joyce Griggs.  Joyce has seen it all in the intelligence community. She was among the first females to pass jump school and earn her airborne wings. Joyce also received a Bronze Star for the numerous lives she and her team saved during combat operations overseas. She had a secret clearance that authorize...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army Vietnam veteran, Travis Mayfield. Travis served in Vietnam from 1967-1968. He was sent to the field to disarm booby traps before an enemy combatant detonated one as he was attempting to disarm it. Travis struggled with military transition back to civilian life, and things got hard, but he kept fighting, and in time, pulled himself out of the hardship!...

Kyle went from Arabic Linguist to Signal Intelligence to becoming a reconnaissance Marine. He’s traveled the world by air, on land, and at sea and has been through some of the toughest schools the Marine Corps has to offer. Kyle had one hell of an adrenaline-packed enlistment.  Upon transitioning out of the military he got involved with “The Human Baton”, an organization that gives people wild, ad...

Raymond grew up in a gang neighborhood in Riverside, CA. He was kicked out of two high schools and ended up enlisting in the Army to serve in the Infantry.  During a combat tour in Iraq, Raymond was shot by a sniper. He eventually recovered from his wound and got back in the fight. However, while recovering at home, Raymond discovered some horrific news about his fellow soldiers being killed in ac...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army combat veteran, Kenny Evans. Kenny grew up rough and had turned to selling drugs to make money, but that life did not define him.  His life changed when his former best friend ended up going to jail, as it put Kenny on a better path, which led to him enlisting in the Army.  He served three Army combat tours, two to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, and los...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Hannah McCoy, the wife of Marine combat veteran, Shane McCoy. Hannah describes in detail what it’s like being married to a combat veteran with PTSD.  She goes above and beyond by educating herself on the things her husband deals with daily to learn how to support him the best she can. Hannah, like many other veteran spouses, plays a huge role in the veteran...

During combat operations in Iraq, Daniel faced multiple occasions where an enemy sniper had shot and wounded a soldier who had just moved into the position Daniel was at just moments before the attack.  He witnessed his best friend, James J. Coon, get shot and killed by an enemy sniper while in Iraq. Daniel talks about his struggle to transition back into the civilian world and leaves us with some...

Robert overdosed while experiencing drugs prior to the military, which helped to set him on the right path. He had no thoughts of going to war, but September 11th, 2001 would change everything. He talks about watching banana shows in Okinawa, going to jail for crimes he didn’t commit, and fighting for his reputation. This Marine Veteran overcame so much before, during, and after service, we'r...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran Kiro Awad. Kiro migrated to the United States from Egypt. He was faced with many obstacles on his journey to becoming a Marine. One of these obstacles was the recruiter telling Kiro he had to divorce his wife if he wanted to enlist in the Marine Corps. Kiro would later find out from one of his drill instructors that the recruiter lied to him...

 This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army combat veteran, Edgar Rios. Edgar served in the Army as an 11B Infantryman from 2008 to 2016 and got out as a Staff Sergeant. He walks us through being a brand-new soldier in Afghanistan and getting shot at for the very first time. The contact was coming from outside of Edgar’s sectors of fire, yet Edgar decided to shoot back anyways. In doing so he r...

This week’s episode on Urban Valor features former spouse of a U.S. Marine Corps war veteran, Gissela Delery. Gissela met her former spouse while in high school. She speaks about the personality her ex-husband had before going to war and the changes she noticed upon him returning home from combat. Military spouses often go unnoticed yet end up having to navigate some heavy emotions from their sign...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Brendon Arbilon. Brendon grew up in the rough streets of the Philippines. He always had a security detail with him because of who his parents were. Brendon was shot at as a kid while driving in convoys and witnessed his security driver get executed as he was walking out of school towards his pickup vehicle. He eventually migrated...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine combat veteran, Byron Rodgers. Byron served in the Marine Corps as an infantry assault man. He was blown up multiple times during his combat tour in Iraq. Byron talks  about coming out of his body and seeing himself unconscious during one of  these attacks. He describes the journey in detail and it’s an incredible story. Byron has stories that will b...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features retired Major- Black Hawk Pilot, Jennifer Fortenberry. Jennifer and her twin sister were inspired by their father to join the military. She talks about her father’s incredible accomplishments, surviving a helicopter crash in a combat zone, and struggling to deal with the loss of several crewmen during her three tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. Jennifer leaves...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features U.S. Army Special Operations veteran, Chris O’Malley. Chris served in the Army for approximately 21 years and retired as a First Sergeant. During his time in service, Chris conducted 11 tours overseas not limited to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Philippines. He tells an unfortunate story about a Chinook Helicopter crash while in the Philippines, that had 10 U....

This week’s Urban Valor episode features U.S. Army veteran, Phillip Williams. Phillip says he grew up in a rough neighborhood in Michigan and got into a  lot of fights because he was a white guy in a predominately black neighborhood. He had all his teeth knocked out throughout his street fighting career and shares a story about being humbled after being jumped while stationed in Germany. Phillip s...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features our first veteran spouse interview  with Danielle Sanchez. Danielle was married to Marcos Sanchez, a Marine  combat veteran who served with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special  Operations Capable) during the invasion of Iraq. Danielle says Marcos wasn’t  the same person upon returning home from war and speaks on the struggle  of trying to navigate t...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army combat veteran Will Jones.  Will served as an 11 Bravo infantryman in the Army from 2004 to 2008. He did two combat tours overseas and talks about being blown up three times while conveying through the IED-infested roads of Iraq. Will is full of high energy and good vibes. He leaves us with how physical fitness impacts his life and keeps him with a str...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features U.S. Air Force and National Guard  veteran, Samuel Currie.  Sam enlisted into the Air Force in 1974 and retired out of the National Guard in 2013 as a Chief Master Sergeant after 38 years of service. During his time in service, Sam completed 9 tours overseas and has flown many missions as a Loadmaster. He spoke of his father actually being a World War 1 com...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features U.S. Navy Seal veteran, Johnny Sotello. Johnny was a breacher and a point man in the Navy Seal Teams, which ended up taking a toll on his mental state. He tells a story about a moment of laughter he shared with his teammates as they attempted to outrun rockets launched by the enemy in Iraq. Johnny leaves us with a bucket full of effective treatments for vet...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Navy and Army Veteran Kent Blackburn. Kent spent approximately 28 years in the service. From being a radioman in the Navy to an infantryman in the Army, Ken has been around the block and was highly experienced. A common denominator amongst America’s veterans is downplaying their service thinking it wasn’t significant. Pay close attention to Kent’s body lang...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Army veteran James Evans. James enlisted into the Army and decided he wanted to be a Green Beret. He gave his all during Army Special Forces School. Out of approximately 450 candidates James was one of the 92 selected after passing the school. Unfortunately, he suffered severe injuries to his feet. Since transitioning out of the Army, James has embedded him...