American Warrior Radio

Sarah Carlson was working an emergency management internship when the September 11th attacks occurred. Like many Americans she and her brothers decided to serve our nation. Her brothers joined the military but Sarah took a different route, choosing to join the Defense Intelligence Agency as an intelligence analyst and eventually moving to a role with the Central Intelligence Agency. Her entire career was focused upon counter-terrorism; groups plotting attacks against the homeland and Europe.

Her personal experiences and involvement in the harrowing evacuation of a US Embassy in are detailed in her new book “In the Dark of War; A CIA Officer’s Inside Account of the US Evacuation from Libya.”

Sarah volunteered to go to Tripoli in July of 2013, arriving just a few months after the Benghazi attacks. While the war did not result in any direct attacks on the embassy compound, situations devolved to a point where the decision was made to evacuate. Sarah and her colleagues had less than 48 hours to destroy all documents & equipment and prepare to evacuate.

An airborne evacuation was deemed too risky so they convoyed via a drawn out route to Tunis. Sarah knew that the same group that conducted the Benghazi attacks had moved into the Tripoli area and says that she fully expected to be ambushed immediately upon leaving the compound. She takes great pride in the fact that, even though she was a civilian, she was given the role of Tactical Commander for her vehicle.

Following that harrowing 26 hour journey to safety, Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling that we gave up and lost. This was an underlying factor in her decision to leave the CIA.

“Dark of War” is a unique read and I encourage everyone to buy the book!

TAKEAWAY: “The problem in Libya won’t be solved as long as there is still so much foreign intervention involved.”

Matthew Marsden made a comment during an interview last year that just floored me. So much so that I invited the British born actor/director to join me for a special Independence Day show. Sometimes it is valuable to examine ourselves through the lens of an “outsider”.

Marsden was raised by a single mother living in public housing. He was fascinated by US television and even comic books. While he established a respectable career as a singer and actor in the United Kingdom, he knew that because he came from the wrong social class, his career was likely limited. He also knew that one of the foundational elements of US philosophy was equal opportunity regardless of race or class and that in our nation one could achieve anything they put their mind to. He began seeking auditions for US movies.

An off-set encounter he had with a young Army Ranger while filming the movie Blackhawk Down changed the trajectory of his life forever. Marsden committed to learning more about US history in a search for what makes our country so special.  He became a full time resident of the US and most recently was on track to receive his citizenship this month but the process was interrupted by the COVID shutdowns.

Marsden and I agree that, while the Founding Fathers were imperfect and flawed, the system of government they designed is still the best on the planet. Marsden emphasizes how very thin the line between tyranny and freedom truly is. People must get educated about our history in order to be able to properly contextualize the evolution of our nation or risk losing what we have.

Special Thanks to Rock and Roll Patriot Dave Bray for allowing us use of his special version of the National Anthem. His patriotic and inspirational music can be found here.

TAKEAWAY: “There is nowhere else that freedom loving people can flee to. This is it. And we have to fight for it.”

Soldier Strong was originally established by Christopher Meek as “Soldiers Socks” in 2009. Chris was in the World Trade Center towers on September 11th and was responsible for getting 29 persons out on that day.  Following those attacks Chris knew he had to do something to give back but didn’t know what form that would take.

A few years later Chris learned from a Marine Corps mentor that some deployed troops were lacking essentials like socks and baby wipes. He formed “Soldiers Socks” in 2009 and the new organization shipped over 75,000 pounds of donated socks and wipes.

As combat operations began winding down, Chris researched other gaps in need among returning Veterans.  The organization shifted focus toward “helping Veterans take their next steps forward in life” beginning with a series of scholarships.  Soon thereafter Chris read an article about a company building exoskeletons that allow paralyzed persons to stand and walk. Chris arranged a meeting with the company and was “sold in 30 seconds.” He committed to funding and donating 10 devices before asking the price ($150,000 per suit).  Spurred by this meeting, the organization pivoted once more toward a focus on using technology to help Veterans and in 2015 Soldier Strong was born.

The “Soldier Suit” exoskeletons are not meant to be a permanent device but are instead used as a form of therapy. One of their clients was told he would never walk again but after Solider Suit therapy was walking with a cane in 10 weeks.

Another of their technology based initiatives uses sophisticated virtual reality simulations to help address PTSD.  By being repetitively placed back in the traumatic incident, the process allows the Veteran to control the memory and recover.

Soldier Strong works in partnership with the Veterans Administration in delivering their programs in locations across the country. More information may be found at their website.

TAKEAWAY:  “These Veterans may need a little help but they ARE NOT broken.”

Col. Michael Drowley has flown a wide assortment of aircraft over his career. Heavy bombers like the B-1 & B-52, the C-130 and C-17 heavy transport planes, F-15 & F-16 fighter jets, the B-2 Stealth bomber and even helicopters. But the slow and tough A-10 Thunderbolt is his favorite.  

He is careful to make a distinction between fighter pilots and attack pilots. The A-10 was designed and built with one singular purchase – to support troops on the ground. “Everything we do as an A-10 pilot is about supporting those Soldiers, Marines and Special Forces personnel on the ground. The more I can put myself in their shoes, the better I can understand how I can help them.”

Drowley says there are three words that can stop an attack pilot’s heartbeat; “Troops in Combat”. He first heard those words crackling across his radio while supporting a special operations team attempting to extract a high value target in Afghanistan. He shares details of that extraordinary mission and another mission in Iraq where he had to make the difficult decision to terminate a rescue mission rather than risk losing more lives.

Drowley cited these two missions as examples of the fact that sometimes there can be “..fates worse than death” in a TedX talk to airmen at Scott Air Force Base. While at first reluctant, with some encouragement his became the first Ted Talk delivered by an active duty member of the military.

At the time of this interview, Col. Drowley is the Commander of the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base but he will receive a promotion to Brigadier General and take command of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base in July.

TAKEAWAY: “I would rather take trust over technical competency any time. If I know I can trust someone with my life and know they aren’t going to run from that responsibility, to me that is the difference maker between an average team and a high performing team.”

Years ago I also produced and hosted a program called "Daily Male" that focused upon helping young people grow up into strong adults. This is an interview conducted with my Father.

Exposing stolen valor became a mission for Don Shipley and his wife Diane when they were approached by a man seeking to support their program for children afflicted with cancer. Something about man didn’t seem right so Don looked into his background.

Fraudulently claiming to be the recipient of certain military decorations or medals in order to receive benefits is a federal crime.

Don has become THE go to person for investigating Navy SEAL claims. There have been days when Don has received up to 50 requests for help. Service as a SEAL is one of the most common instances of stolen valor and Don believes it is because claiming to be a SEAL automatically builds trust making it easier to defraud people. Don himself served with 8 SEAL platoons and was platoon leader of five. His wife is also a Navy Veteran.

It took Don 3 years to unravel the claims of one extremely accomplished liar who had bilked two doctors and several African nations out of $400 million. Turns out he was a convicted felon who never served in the military, much less as a Navy SEAL.

Don is one of a limited number of people with access to a comprehensive database of everyone who has graduated from SEAL training and it is his principal tool for exposing fakes. Don says one of the most difficult things he has to do is inform family members that their loved one’s claims of SEAL service are not true.

Ninety five percent of the persons he investigates did have some sort of prior military service but are ashamed their contribution was not more “heroic”.

Don and his wife also run the non-profit "Warrior's Rest" program that allows children suffering from cancer and Veterans to spend time on their 80 acre farm hunting, fishing and just plain relaxing.

TAKEAWAY: “Your chances of running into a real living breathing Navy SEAL are about as good as sitting next to President Obama on an airplane in a coach seat.”

Here I Am, Send Me documents a very special parachute jump conducted over Normandy on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.  The film can be found on the Devinsupertramp YouTube channel. Two of the participants join us to share their thoughts and motivations.

Scoti Domeij is the Gold Star mother of Army Ranger Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Domeij, the most deployed soldier in US history to be killed in action.  Matthew “Griff” Griffin served with Kristoffer and did four tours as an Army Ranger before founding Combat Flip Flops.

When Scoti learned that a group of Rangers and others were planning to make the anniversary jump she knew she wanted to participate but learned she did not qualify. She called Griff and in his words “It’s Kris’ mom. If she wants to jump into Normandy, she jumps into Normandy.”

Among the teams jumping that day were Team Freedom, consisting of a variety of former Special Forces members and their families, including Green Beret Mark Nutsch, one of the Task Force Dagger members made famous in the movie “12 Strong”. Team Gold Star included Scoti, Griff and Zach Carbo, another one of Kristoffer’s former Ranger teammates.

Both teams jumped from vintage WWII transport planes and wore authentic period uniforms including unit patches and jump boots. While most jumped with static lines, Scoti jumped in tandem with Zach and says the feeling of being under canopy over Omaha beach was so special she wished it could have lasted longer.

Scoti and Griff share the emotional experiences of walking those hallowed grounds. For Griff it was the poppy filled acres made famous in the poem “In Flanders Fields”. Scoti visited the Normandy American Cemetery and was struck that every name engraved on those crosses was some mother’s son.

TAKEAWAY:  “Here I am, Send me is not a history lesson. It is a film of remembrance, like a keepsake.”

Stalag 17B was “home” for B-17 radio operator Walter Ram for two years. Stalag 17B was one of the Nazi regime’s most notorious POW camps.

Walter lied about his age in order to enlist at the age of 16. One year later the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. His crew was assigned to the 94th Bombardment Group, 331st Squadron of the 8th Air Force.  He shares the humorous story of how his aircraft, the “Helno-Gal” came to be named.

On his 3rd mission, his aircraft had an engine shot out and soon lost a second. Flying unescorted across the North Sea with no land in site, the pilot asked the crew if they wanted to bail out but they all refused. Luckily they were able to “belly” land with minor cuts and scrapes.

The “Helno II” was not so lucky. On their 6th mission the plane was badly damaged and 6 crew members were killed. Walter credits ball turret gunner Chuck Lewis for saving his life by throwing him out of the plane. Lewis did not survive.

As it became apparent that the Nazi’s were about to lose, Hitler issued orders that all POW’s were to be executed. This was one of the few orders that German Generals ignored. Instead, Walter and 4,000 of his fellow Stalag 17B POW’s were forcibly marched toward the US lines. Walter will never forget the site of some of the Jewish prisoners they encountered during the march.

They were eventually liberated by troops of Patton’s third Army but because Patton’s men had no way to care for them, they were left on their own for a few days. This resulted in Walter and his comrades taking some rather unusual revenge on the building that was Hitler’s birthplace.

TAKEAWAY: “I would like to have the young people in this country know more what it is to keep our freedoms because we paid a high price for freedom and it wasn’t in dollars and cents.”

Excellence in Policing author Andy Harvey has the resume to back up his concepts. He has over two decades of law enforcement experience; 21 years with the Dallas Police Department, two years as Chief of the Palestine, Texas PD and currently serves as Chief of the Ennis, Texas.  Andy also served 21 years as a member of the Air Force Reserve and the Texas Air and Army National Guards.

In testimony before the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Andy said “When members of the community do not trust law enforcement, crimes go unreported and it is a detriment to the community as a whole.”  The essence of Excellence in Policing and the training he has provided to hundreds of departments across the department centers on how police can build and reinforce a relationship of trust.

Andy’s “Police-Citizen Encounter Model" addresses the lack of mutual understanding between police officers and citizens. The model has three basic phases; the initial contact, process & decision making and final outcome.  He elaborates on each of these points.  Research has shown that the average citizen is more concerned about the process rather than the ultimate outcome.

We spend some time talking about how communication between law enforcement and the public has changed by body cameras and a world where every citizen now carries a camera in their pocket.  He says times have changed and departments has responded to community demands to share more information.

Andy also discusses what he calls the “ugly side” of policing; the stresses and situations that have driven the scourge of suicide among law enforcement personnel.  He says that while departments across the country are getting better at resiliency programs, work still needs to be done by leadership to facilitate help at every level for officers who are seeking help.  “At some level we are all walking wounded.”

TAKEAWAY: “Wearing a uniform doesn’t separate you from the community; it makes you more a part of it.”

Gary Sinise Foundation CEO Robin Rand joins us to discuss their programs in support of military members, first responders and their families.  He updates us on the Foundation’s Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service program.

Since March 9, this new element of their programming has funded over 5,000 pieces of PPE and large scale decontamination equipment for 56 first responder units in 25 states. Over $700,000 of the $ 1 million raised for this program has already been allocated and Robin assures listeners that every dime raised for the Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service program will be dedicated specifically to those needs. He shares that there are also addressing individual requests such as front line personnel who have been furloughed and unable to pay their bills.

The Gary Sinise Foundation accomplishes their mission through four programmatic pillars:

* Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment

* Relief and Resilience

* Community and Education

* First Responders Outreach Program

Robin provides examples of deliverables in each of these categories such as the number of mortgage free smart homes built for severely wounded Veterans and the annual “Snowball Express” program for the families of fallen military heroes.

Robin’s relationship with Gary Sinise began in the winter of 2004 when Robin was Commander of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base in Korea and Gary and his Lt. Dan Band gave a USO tour performance at the base. Following that performance, Gary sent Robin an email asking where he would be going next and made a point of visiting units under Robin’s command whenever possible.

Prior to becoming the Foundation’s CEO, Robin served 39 years in the Air Force, retiring at the rank of four star General. Following Robin’s retirement, Gary approached him about assuming duties as CEO of the Gary Sinise Foundation.

TAKEAWAY:  “I used to be asked why I joined the Air Force. It’s been so long ago I can’t remember but I know why I stayed in the Air Force – because of the mission. Transitioning to the Gary Sinise Foundation was a natural progression because of their mission.”