Warrior Hope

We proudly present our Behind & Beyond the Mission Podcast Series. Episode 1: Behind Our Mission: From Desire to Documentary takes you on a journey of how our founder, Bob Waldrep had the desire to start a non-profit and the series of events that led to starting the Crosswinds Foundation and Warrior Hope, which then led to producing his first documentary that brings awareness to PTSD and other...

Sabrina Fears comes from a military family. In some way, when she enlisted, she knew what to expect. But, then again, you can’t always know, can you? Here are three takeaways from the talk with Sabrina—   ✅ It changes you. Don’t expect to be the “same person” coming out of the military as went in. The changes aren’t all bad, either. In fact, some are quite good and will carry you well into y...

Rex Parvin has two son-in-laws who’ve served. In fact, one serves now. Furthermore, Rex leads a group for veterans. From the unique perspective of a father, he shares what to do— and what not to do— when it comes to helping your loved ones walk through the healing process. He says this—   ✅ Repeat the things that help— Don’t assume that everything you do (that works) is a “one and done.” Rep...

Rock Hobbs has been a fighter pilot, a commercial airline pilot, an addict… and now leads a ministry that helps people— from all walks of life— find inner healing. He teaches from an overflow of what he’s learned the hard way. In this podcast we talk about his story— and some of the events that led him to continue turning from one chapter to the next, until he found himself healed, healing, and he...

Scott Landreth is no stranger to the Warrior Hope podcast (season 1, episode 16). We pulled him back into the convo because— for the past year— Scott has been leading a “Centers of Hope” group. This is a HUGE step, because Scott was initially hesitant about even attending a group (just as our guest in episode 6, Andrea Melcher was). I asked Scott, “What would you say to someone who’s thinking abou...

Dani Rocco is an author, a podcaster, and the mother of a soldier. So, she brings a unique perspective to the Warrior Hope podcast— a view we haven’t heard before. Here’s what to listen for—   ✅ If the solider is deployed the entire family is deployed. Think about it like this— what happens to one person in the family affects EVERYONE in the family. Whether it’s schooling, a hospital stay, a...

Chris Turner is back on the Warrior Hope podcast, sharing a significant chapter of his story… In this show, Chris talks about the time a fellow Marine stood with them— in the barracks— celebrating, only to take his life just a few hours later. No one understand. There were no warning signs. Nothing was ever said beforehand. Everyone just assumed the man had been OK. Until he wasn’t.   That le...

In this episode of the Warrior Hope podcast, we talk with Don Malin, a retired chaplain. (Incidentally, Don is the soldier who first mentioned that PTSD would be a major issue of concern— almost a decade ago— when Crosswinds first began searching for a topic for the first feature film.) Here are a few takeaways from the talk with this spiritual leader / solider….   💙 You must mourn in order...

In this talk we take you straight to the Warrior Hope curriculum, to the lesson where we discuss Moral Injury. Whereas PTSD takes the form of “fight vs flight” and is a response to an external threat, Moral Injury most often looks like guilt and/or shame… and is a response to internal threats. With Moral Injury, you feel like YOU are the problem. (Or, more accurately, what you have seen, experienc...

Eugene finished shooting the film for the upcoming Crosswinds documentary, loosely titled “When Trauma Comes Home.” Right now, the team is in post-production / full edit mode— and about to release! Over the past few years, Eugene has gotten to be an expert in the area of post-deployment issues… … released two feature length documentaries AND shooting the third (which is almost ready to release) te...

Stafford Ouderkirk just retired— for the second time. The first time around, he retired from the military. The second time— this time— he retired from TekSouth, a military contractor. Teaming with Crosswinds and the efforts of Warriors on Mission was a perfectly natural fit. For years, Staff and the warriors he worked with relied on the help of military contractors like the company he retired from...

I met Andrea Melcher via Zoom— when she accidentally dropped in on one of the online Centers of Hope groups I was hosting. Thinking the group didn’t apply to her, she connected with one of the women on our team and then decided to stay involved— for just a few more weeks. Why didn’t the group apply? Because we were talking about PTSD… Oddly enough, Andrea had been formally diagnosed with PTSD— and...

I met Andrew Farrer back in 2021— when I was teaching the Warrior Hope material at a leadership training (certification) event in Tennessee, just south of Nashville. At the time, we were about to launch the Freedom Tour (see episode 3, with Chris Turner), just beginning to make headway into the Tennessee area. Andrew was— at that time— the incoming chaplain for the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) i...

You likely hear the term “PTSD” a lot, but have you stepped back to see what it actually means…? In episode 4 of the Warrior Hope podcast, we break it down and define it, using the info from lesson 2 of the Warrior Hope curriculum. Here are a few things you’ll learn— ⭐️ PTSD isn’t new. In fact, it’s been around as long as people have been around. Though we’re just now using the term “PTSD,” it’s...

Chris Turner headlines The Freedom Tour— a project Crosswinds uses to take the message of hope + healing to veterans. The tour is the vehicle; healing from the past and launching into your next mission is the message… In this episode of the Warrior Hope podcast Chris talks about the unique strategy— and why it works. And, of course, I offer my three takeaways— ⭐️ We all carry a weight no on talks...

This week we talk with Eugene Cuevas about the conversations we need to have regarding PTSD and more… (Eugene is the mega-talented director of the Invisible Scars and Honoring the Code documentaries, as well as the upcoming title to be released about warrior families.) Back in the day, people gathered on the front porch— and talked about the real things of life. Now, well… we don’t have many front...

Season 2 of the Warrior Hope podcast rolls out today… What’s it about? In episode #1 of the new season I discuss it… ✅ We connect veterans to their next mission ✅ The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past ✅ Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the go...

Scott Landreth served in the Army from 1975-1982… due to the classified nature of many of his missions, he can’t tell you a whole lot other than that he was stationed in several stateside locations, as well as Greece, Germany & other “undisclosed places.” I met Scott when he walked through the doors of one of our meetings with Rambo, his service dog. Scott acquired Rambo after decades of livin...

My friend Michael Thorin served in the Army from 1990-1994, and then the Alabama Army National Guard from 1994-2009.  He deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq, where he served as a scout, providing security for convoys, quartermaster supply missions, and fuel and essential supply deliveries. Michael saw combat during his tours. He left the Army as a Sergeant qualified as a Scout, Communicatio...

Chris Turner is a singer/songwriter from Ninety Six, South Carolina and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. I first met Chris a few years ago at the first Songs of Hope event (Songs of Hope = an event Crosswinds created to generate awareness about veterans + PTSD + Moral Injury. Veterans are matched with singer-songwriters who put their stories to music.) Chris performed at the beginning...

In this episode of the Warrior Hope podcast I talk with Pastor Robert Caridi, a leader I met when he attended our first Centers of Hope leader training event this past February in Birmingham, Alabama. Robert was born to in an Italian-American family in North Bellmore, New York. He was raised Roman Catholic, and followed all the required religious practices attending mass regularly. He graduated co...

Lt. Col. Don served as a chaplain in two tours of duty in Iraq & Afghanistan.  He retired in 2013 as the Chief of Chaplains of the Mississippi National Guard. In his civilian life Don continued his service assisting veterans through the Vet Center in Jackson. Don has a unique relationship to Crosswinds— on multiple levels. For the purposes of our talk today, though, Don is the man that tu...

In this episode of the Warrior Hope podcast, we talk with Ginger Branson, a Desert Storm veteran (relative to this talk) and member of Mensa (probably relative in some way). Ginger (LTC-Ret, US Army) served in Desert Storm with the 251st Evacuation Hospital January 1991 through May 1991. During the 16 weeks the 251st Evac Hospital was operational in Saudi Arabia, they admitted 2,250 patients, perf...

“Hamp,” as everyone calls him, is a magnet. With 8 years of military service, 25 years in civiil service, and now leadership at the local DAV chapter (Disabled American Veterans), people are drawn to for life + hope + encouragement. But he hasn’t always felt like that. (And, he’ll tell you, sometimes he still doesn’t feel that way.) In this episode of the Warrior Hope podcast we go way back to Ham...

Staff Sgt. Gloria Williams served in the United States Air Force as a communications specialist stationed in Europe, the Philippines and stateside. She gets great joy from sharing her experiences in service as a way of helping others.  Gloria is particularly interested in providing help through Mental Wellness forums.    In this talk, Gloria opens up about the hurt she experienced i...