Benjamin Bunn served as a US Army Special Forces Noncommissioned Officer and then, following his commission as an Airborne Infantry Officer. Ben served in a variety of Special Operations and conventional leadership roles on multiple tours to both Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving the military, Ben founded Cigar City Crossfit, a successful gym he currently runs in Tampa, FL.

#9 - Benjamin Bunn - Special Forces Sergeant to Airborne Infantry Officer

The Fear and Courage Podcast tells the stories of military service members, law enforcement officers, and first responders. These experiences are intense and in many ways foreign to the majority of people. The show includes stories with intensity, unique experiences, personal impacts (positive and negative), and lives changed for the better or worse as a result of a career of service. By telling the impactful stories of education, training, operations, traumas, victories, career paths, and family experiences that come from service, we hope to better understand the full impact of one person's choice to serve. I hope for the personal impact on those who serve to be a factor in the national conversation about military deployment thresholds and national and state law enforcement/first responder policy and regulation.

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Matt was one of my students at The Citadel, one of the six United States senior military colleges, and he graduated in 2015. He was commissioned as an Army Infantry Officer and has completed Ranger, Airborne, and Long Range Surveillance qualifications among others. He has served as a Platoon leader in the 4th Infantry Division and served on deployment to Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019. It is always a treat for me to have a former cadet on the podcast who I knew in those formative years.

#22 - 1LT Matthew Rogers - US Army Infantry Officer

Earl Granville is a retired Army Staff Sergeant. He served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as an Infantryman, enlisting in 2001 and deploying to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He lost part of his leg when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in eastern Afghanistan in 2008. He is a Team Member for the veteran run and owned non-profit Operation Enduring Warrior, is pursuing his bachelors degree in counseling, and also speaks publicly about the importance of finding help in battling mental adversity after the passing of his twin brother, Staff Sergeant Joseph Granville, who took his own life December of 2010 while still on Active Duty.

#21 - SSG (ret) Earl Granville - US Army Infantryman and Public Speaker

Jason “Jake” Jean is an Air Force Veteran who enlisted as part of the Security Forces. He was medically discharged from the Air Force and has since started and run several successful companies. His current effort, Tattered Beans is a veteran focused coffee retailer that gives $4 of every bag sold to military veterans and veteran related causes.

#20 - Jason "Jack" Jean - Air Force Veteran and Entrepreneur

Col Jack Jacobs is a retired Colonel in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the Vietnam War. He currently serves as a military analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and previously worked as an investment manager.

#19 - COL(ret) Jack Jacobs - Retired US Army Infantry Officer - Medal of Honor Awardee

CPT Maggie Smith is a US Army Cyber Officer with over 14 years of experience as both an enlisted Soldier and commissioned Officer. She is currently on Advanced Civil Schooling orders to George Washington University (GWU) and is a second-year Ph.D. student of public policy. She commissioned as a 2LT and earned her MPP with a focus in Homeland Security and Intelligence Policy at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy while doing the Army's Green to Gold Program to earn her commission. Maggie dealt with the challenge of a positive BRCA2 genetic test and subsequent health decisions while serving on active duty and hasn’t allowed that to slow her down at all. Maggie is also an ultra runner, mom, and wife to Patrick, also a US Army Veteran, and is looking forward to an assignment teaching at West Point.

#9 - Benjamin Bunn - Special Forces Sergeant to Airborne Infantry Officer

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