Eagle Nation Podcast

Bergan Flannigan has one of the most compelling stories that we’ve ever brought to the Eagle Nation Podcast.  Her military career began brilliantly as the top military graduate in her class from Norwich University.  Upon completion of her Military Police training, she reported to Ft. Stewart, Georgia and was almost immediately deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan.  Almost 9 months into the mission, Bergan was struck by an anti-personnel IED and lost her right leg above the knee…and that is just where her story begins.

During this episode, we have a great conversation about combat, relationships, recovery, mindset, and so much more. 

Just as a note, this episode has a little bit of an NPR interview feel to it.  Bergan and I had not previously met and we recorded outside a neighborhood Starbucks.  You’ll notice me saying “Wow!” about 50 times.  There’s a bit of background noise, but just imagine that you’re there, hanging out with us, on a warm Florida afternoon.  

 

5 years ago, the Cooper brothers, Nathan and Aaron, set out on journey to ride motorcycles from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, to Tierra Del Feugo (an archipelago that sits at South America’s southernmost tip). The journey has turned out very differently than they intended, and they’ve learned a ton about themselves and other cultures along the way.  

 

In this episode we discuss:

 

• The article that caught my attention
• Overcoming adversity
• What it’s like to carry all your possessions on the back of a motorcycle
• What they’ve learned along the way.
• How you can follow their journey and support them.

Eric Frohardt is a former Navy SEAL, an entrepreneur, and the CEO of StrongFirst.  While on active duty, Eric served on various SEAL Teams and deployed numerous times to hot spots around the world.  He’s co-founded a number of different businesses, most notably the BluCore Shooting Center, a firearms training facility. He is currently the CEO of StrongFirst – a premium strength and fitness education company with a global presence of more than 2,500 instructors that operates on 6 continents.

In this episode we discuss:

• Military transition
• Being an entrepreneur
• StrongFirst and Kettlebell training
• Leadership lessons and ownership

Dr. Nancy Sherman is a Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University.  She was also the inaugural Distinguished Chair in Ethics at the United States Naval Academy.  She holds a PhD from Harvard, and has taught at some of the best academic institutions in the U.S., to include Yale and Johns Hopkins.  Sherman is the author of four books, several of which focus on military issues.

We have a rich conversation in which we cover:

• A brief overview of Philosophy and how it can be applied to daily life
• Stoicism, and why it’s popular
• The POW story of James Stockdale and Epictetus
• Connections to the military mindset
• Her books about the military

We have a really interesting show this week on the Eagle Nation Podcast!  Will Bardenwerper is an Army veteran and author.  On this week's episode, we have a great conversation about his time in uniform, and how he is carving out a career for himself as a writer.  So far, he's doing a pretty good job!  His new book, A Prisoner in His Palace, tells the fascinating story of Saddam Hussein's final months as a prisoner of the US-led coalition and the interim Iraqi government.  The book takes you inside the experience of young, American soldiers assigned to guard the former dictator during his last days.  It is an amazing read.   We also discuss how Will got into writing and how other Veterans can do the same.  With such a small percentage of Americans actually serving in the military, it is absolutely critical for Veterans to be a part of the conversation.   We had a blast on this one, so we hope you love it!

Andrew Brennan is a former UH-60 Blackhawk pilot and combat veteran.  After departing the Army a little earlier than he’d planned, Andrew ultimately found himself searching for his next calling.  A fateful encounter with a group of Vietnam Veterans on their way to visit the memorial wall in DC sparked the inspiration he needed.  Andrew is now the Executive Director of the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation.

For the past two years they have been working diligently on Capitol Hill to gain bipartisan support for an amendment bill to the Commemorative Works Act of 1986 and today, they have successfully introduced two companion bills in the House and Senate: H.R. 873 and S. 926. These bills can pave the way for a sacred place to honor this generation of warriors and all without any taxpayer funding.

GWOTMF exists to ensure that the Veterans of the Global War on Terror experience their future memorial in a timely manner as we recognize that this can be a decade's long process from the time legislation is enacted to the completion of the memorial itself.

Check out the action plan below on how you make your voice heard and be a part of the effort to create a memorial that will tell the countless stories of bravery, resilience and sacrifice from the Global War on Terror for generations to come. 

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• Text GWOTMF to 52886 to contact your representatives and senators quickly and easily.
• Visit (www.gwotmemorialfoundation.org/take-action) and fill out our Take Action form to send a support email to your elected representatives and senators.
• Tweet, Facebook and call your elected officials in support of H.R. 873 and S. 926.

This week is a special episode, as it falls exactly one year after we introduced J.J. Pinter as the co-host of the Eagle Nation Podcast.  As you all know, he has done an amazing job on the show and has interviewed some really incredible guests.  This week, it is time to introduce J.J. once again... as the next Executive Director of Team RWB!     That's right!  On June 15th, Blayne will be transitioning out of the job and J.J. will take the helm.  Not to worry, Blayne isn't going too far.  He's headed up to Jacksonville Beach to join our long-time friends and partners at GORUCK...and he'll remain the co-host of Eagle Nation!   So, for this podcast, we'll take some time to talk a little bit about the transition, and a lot of time looking back over the past five years.  We get into some early Team RWB stories, share some of our favorite memories, and look forward into the next chapter.  This one was fun and we hope you'll enjoy it.

 

Tim Bomke had an appointment with his Army recruiter on the morning of 9/11/2001.  The events of that morning only strengthened his resolve to serve.  A few years later, Tim and his platoon were patrolling in Iraq, when a massive IED hit his vehicle.  Badly wounded, he started on a new journey of recovery, resilience, and continued service.   Over the past several years, Tim has advocated for veterans and military families in both education and employment.  He is a co-founder of Microsoft's Military Systems and Software Academy, spent three years working in veteran/spouse programs at Starbucks, and currently leads the effort at Amazon.   We have a great discussion that covers:

• Tim's mindset during his recovery and rehabilitation
• The power of finding a purpose
• Why veterans and military spouses are great assets
• And so much more

Tim is a truly inspiring guy and is doing so much in the veteran's space.  You'll definitely get a lot out of this conversation.

Dr. Anthony Hassan is truly a luminary in the field of military behavioral health with more than 30 years experience in/out of uniform. He’s driven change in the military, at the University of Southern California, and now in his role as CEO of the Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) - a revolutionary effort led by philanthropist Steven Cohen to radically improve the state of mental health care available to veterans in America.

 

We have a rich conversation in which we cover:

 

• His military career and why he’s so passionate about military behavioral health
• The Cohen Veterans Network and why they’re different.
• Misconceptions about veterans and mental health
• PTSD and why it’s not only a veteran issue

With over 500,000 veterans and family members using the Post 9/11 GI Bill, supporting and advocating for student veterans has never been more important.  On this week’s episode, we talk with Jared Lyon, President and CEO of Student Veterans of America to discuss the opportunities and challenges of going back to school.

A Navy submariner and diver, Jared has circumnavigated the globe and deployed multiple times in support of the Global War on Terror.  His post-military school is even more interesting.  It includes working in the defense industry, starting multiple businesses, working in Major League Baseball, college, grad school, and ultimately becoming the CEO of a large nonprofit organization.

Jared and his team at SVA are the foremost experts on higher education for veterans and we have a really fun and interesting talk about this incredible important topic.  We know you’ll enjoy it!