This week on Urban Valor, we sit down with Army Veteran Danny Szczakowski, a former Airborne Infantry paratrooper with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. From enduring a challenging childhood in Hereford, Texas, to facing intense combat in Afghanistan, Danny's story is one of resilience and sacrifice.

In this episode, he recounts multiple gunfights against the Taliban as they attempted to overrun their outpost, his harrowing experience recovering a fallen helicopter that claimed the lives of two pilots, and how his journey as a Drill Sergeant took an unexpected turn. Danny also opens up about the emotional toll of military service and a personal battle that led him into a dark mental space.

His story is one of courage, survival, and the unseen struggles of veterans after service. Watch as he shares firsthand accounts of combat, the lessons he’s learned, and his fight to find peace after war.

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Video Chapters: 
00:44 - Childhood and Troubled Family Background
09:16 - Teenage Years and Finding Heavy Metal Community
17:38 - Joining the Military and Overcoming Fear of Heights
25:32 - Airborne Training and Arrival in Italy
33:07 - Deployment to Afghanistan and Combat Experience
49:05 - First Confirmed Kill and Taliban Execution
1:01:03 - Losing a Friend in Battle
1:33:28 - Becoming a Drill Sergeant and Leadership Challenges
2:10:02 - Mental Health Struggles and Rediscovering Faith
2:22:36 - Launching a Veteran Support Project

#military #warstories #urbanvalor  #marines #taliban