Josh Wetzel was leading patrols in Kandahar, Afghanistan when he stepped on an IED on May 31, 2012 — losing both legs above the knee. But this episode isn't really about the explosion. It's about what came after: Walter Reed, a marriage quietly falling apart behind closed doors, survivors guilt, depression, and a Facebook ad for a gym that started putting things back together. Josh sits down with Blayne, Brock, and Ben to talk about everything from the battlefield to Iron Tribe Auburn to the founding of Forging the Warrior Family — a nonprofit giving veteran families access to community, fitness, and each other. This episode releases on Josh's 40th birthday. A fitting one. Forging the Warrior Family Foundation: https://www.forgingthewarriorfamily.com/ The Wetzel (April 18th @ Iron Tribe Auburn): https://wardamnwetzel.com/ Entrusted is a podcast about what you've been given and how you're stewarding it — all to the glory of God. New episodes every Monday. 🎙 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts & Spotify 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @entrustedpodcast 00:00:00 Welcome & Josh's 40th Birthday 00:01:13 What Is the Wetzel? Setting the Stage 00:01:31 Afghanistan: Kandahar, Mushan, and the IED Threat 00:04:48 Josh's First Deployment & Learning on the Job 00:07:14 Taking the Metal Detector Himself 00:10:11 The Big Battalion Mission, May 2012 00:11:21 The Day Before: A Soldier Loses Both Legs 00:12:03 May 31st: Josh Steps on the IED 00:16:00 Flying Through the Air — What It Actually Felt Like 00:17:36 His Medic, His Best Friend, and the Flip Joke 00:19:53 The Grape Fentanyl Lollipop 00:23:03 The Helicopter Ride & the Intraosseous Needle 00:25:30 Waking Up in Germany Three Days Later 00:28:18 His Wife Paige Gets the Call 00:30:08 Walter Reed: The Best Amputee Hospital in the World 00:33:21 Recovery Timeline: Prosthetics by Christmas 00:35:22 Faith: Fire Insurance, Falling Away, and Coming Back 00:37:30 How Different Soldiers Handle the Same Injury 00:39:38 Walter Reed Community and the Quadruple Amputees 00:43:32 Moving to Auburn, Leaving the Army, Losing Community 00:45:03 Behind Closed Doors: Depression, Separation, Running from God 00:45:54 The Iron Tribe Facebook Ad 00:46:38 Survivor's Guilt and His Alive Day 00:48:26 Meeting Austin at the Kroger Starbucks 00:50:31 Learning to Squat Again, Finding Confidence 00:51:32 Paige Shows Up at the Gym with a Gift Box 00:53:13 Doing the Wetzel for the First Time 00:54:01 Deciding to Fight for the Marriage 00:55:18 Bringing Paige to Iron Tribe 00:56:05 What Community Did That the Army Once Did 00:59:22 The ASBA Partnership and Raising $3,000 01:01:01 The Idea: Help the Whole Family, Not Just the Veteran 01:02:32 Founding Forging the Warrior Family 01:02:47 This Saturday: The Wetzel at Iron Tribe Auburn 01:05:41 How to Sign Up + Event Details 01:06:47 James 1 & Romans 8:28 — What This Story Is Really About 01:07:57 Closing