Hazard Ground

Steve Beynon is an Afghanistan War veteran and Cavalry Scout, and continues to serve in the Army National Guard. Steve is also a journalist by trade. He is based in Washington, D.C., and covers ground combat topics for Military.com. Prior to working ground combat, he covered Capitol Hill and the VA for Stars and Stripes. Over the past few years, Beynon has been able to utilize his military experience to objectively cover military stories in a way his contemporaries outside the military simply can't, ensuring veteran and military voices continue to be heard. If you don't follow his writing or social media, give it a look...You won't be disappointed. And while you're at it, check out his story of combat and survival on our latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

@StevenBeynon | www.military.com/author/steve-beynon

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Dick Thompson is a Vietnam combat veteran and Green Beret. When he started his military career, he volunteered for the most dangerous path he could take, ending up in Vietnam with MACV-SOG, where he served as a Team Leader. With MACV-SOG he conducted covert unconventional warfare operations, never knowing if he and/or his entire team would return to base once they left the wire. It was a process that would galvanize him into a military leader who served across multiple high-profile organizations for 21 years before retiring. Thompson took those leadership lessons and subsequent skills to the private sector, where he continues to run High Performing Systems, Inc., an international management, consulting, and training firm with a focus on maximizing leadership potential. Hear his inspiring story of combat, survival, and beyond on our latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.hpsys.com

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It's not often that we get someone from the AC-130 community on the podcast, but this time we were lucky enough to get someone who is a bit of an establishment in the community. Bill Walter is a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant and former AC-130 Gunner. He has played key roles in the AC-130 world for decades. In this episode he talks about his impact on that world from the early days and Operation EAGLE CLAW to the Global War on Terror. Bill is a member of the Air Commando Hall of Fame and SOCOM Hall of Fame. He is also currently writing the definitive history of the AC-130. Hear his complete story on our latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

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Episode Intro Music: "Prelude" by "Silence & Light" (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

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This episode is all about leadership - leadership in combat, in government, and in business. Tommy Sowers is a former Green Beret who is also a multi-sector leader in the political, military, government, academia, and entrepreneurial worlds. He and Mark also worked together during Mark's first deployment to Iraq. Following multiple Iraq combat deployments as a Green Beret, Tommy went on to become the youngest Senate-confirmed Asst. Secretary at the VA as well as serve as the senior advisor to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and much more! If you're looking for some motivation, this is an episode you don't want to miss!

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Episode Intro Music: "Prelude" by "Silence & Light" (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

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Growing up on a farm in Kentucky, Luke Coffey had an urge from a young age to join the Infantry, turning the agrarian landscape into a makeshift battlefield whenever he could. After high school and a short attempt at college, he made joining the Infantry a reality. He would see two combat deployments in one relatively short enlistment - one to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. His Afghanistan deployment, the most dangerous of the two, would take him to the Panjwai District of Afghanistan, a Taliban stronghold, where everyday life was most certainly about combat and survival. It was there he would form a strong bond with Curtis Grace (Episode 233), who he would eventually start the "The Panjwai Podcast" with after leaving the Army and pursuing a Masters degree in Chinese Literature. Hear his powerful story of combat, survival, and more on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.thepanjwaipodcast.com

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Episode Intro Music: "Prelude" by "Silence & Light" (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

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From an early age, it was Tyler Mendelson's dream to become a United States Marine. His father was a Marine, and he wanted to serve his country after 9/11. He also grew up about an hour and a half from NYC, and his father had helped with the World Trade Center recovery effort, so the attacks hit extra close to home. His second dream was to become a filmmaker, partly so he could tell other veterans' stories, and just make great films in the process. His first major short film, "The Hun" - a drama set in the trenches of WWI - has won several awards. He most recently won the Victory The Podcast's 3-Minute Film Festival, having been chosen by "Entourage" creator, screenwriter, and film and TV director, Doug Ellin as the winner for Best Drama. Hear Tyler's inspiring story of combat, survival, and more on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.tylermendelsonfilm.com

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Episode Intro Music: "Prelude" by "Silence & Light" (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

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Our thoughts on the current situation in Afghanistan...

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Rick Dickson's initial combat deployment was to Diyala Province, Iraq in 2006. He spent 15 months there with his unit, when violence in the country was reaching an all-time high. It was combat and survival in the truest sense. Following that deployment he would go on to become an Armor Officer through the Army's Green to Gold program, and eventually transition to Public Affairs, where he still serves today on Active Duty. Rick shares his experiences from that long deployment in 2006, as well as his experience working in the PAO world and all that comes with the military's existence in social and mass media. Hear his story of combat, survival, and more on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

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Episode Intro Music: "Prelude" by "Silence & Light" (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

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If ever there was a warning shot for the detrimental effects of long-term, sustained combat operations on soldiers in modern warfare, Curtis Grace's deployment to Afghanistan in 2012 fits the bill pretty well. In this episode, Grace talks about that greuling deployment to the Panjwai District of Afghanistan, a Taliban stronghold. A deployment that dovetails with the Panjwai Massacre, orchestrated by U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales in March of 2012. Grace also discusses his transition from grunt to Apache pilot, and eventually flying attack helicopters in Afghanistan, supporting missions he once executed as an Infantryman. Curtis is now working to chronicle the time spent by U.S. forces fighting in Panjwai with a friend and fellow combat vet, through their podcast, "The Panjwai Podcast". Hear his powerful story of combat and survival on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.thepanjwaipodcast.com

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Episode Intro Music: "Prelude" by "Silence & Light" (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

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Kim "Rooster" Rossiter is a retired Marine Corps Major and combat veteran of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. His story is tightly interwoven with his daughter Ainsley's, who was born with a terminal illness in 2003. Instead of shirking from the difficult task of facing Ainsley's inevitable fate, Rooster and his wife embraced it to ensure Ainsley lived every moment of her time on earth. The Rossiter's eventually started Ainsley’s Angels in honor of Ainsley. Ainsley's Angels builds awareness about America’s special needs community, and aims to ensure everyone can experience endurance events, something that always put a smile on Ainsley's face. Hear this powerful story of combat and survival, both on the battlefield and at home, on our latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.ainsleysangels.org

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Episode Intro Music: "Prelude" by "Silence & Light" (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

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