Hazard Ground

Donat "Dan" Le Blanc lost his right arm while fighting in Vietnam as a Marine aircraft machine gunner. Service was in his blood; his father was a World War II veteran and POW. So when it was his generation's calling to combat service, Le Blanc joined the Marines. He cites the 1957 film, "The DI" with Jack Webb as a major source of inspiration for joining the Corps. But, Le Blanc's time in Vietnam would end not long after he sustained life-threatening injuries when the helicopter he was manning an M60 machine gun on flew into a hot landing zone during an evac mission in September 1966. Although his time in combat would end, his service would not. Le Blanc went on to eventually make a career out of working for the VA, providing valuable first-hand knowledge for the development of prostheses for veterans who had lost limbs in combat. He would also write a book about his life and time in combat, titled "Deckhouse: My Story", leaving a lasting record not just for his children and grandchildren, but also for those who return from combat with physical and invisible wounds. This is a story of combat, survival, and decades of service to country and veterans alike, as told by a Marine who lived through all three. Hear it now on the latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

"Deckhouse: My Story"

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There's no better story for Episode 200! Daniel Rodriguez entered the Army shortly after losing his father at the age of 18. He joined the Infantry and was almost immediately thrust into one of the worst positions to be in as a new soldier in combat: the replacement for another soldier who had been killed in Iraq. Although it was a rough start, the unit he ended up with would ultimately be the group of guys he not only bonded with, but would also go through one of the bloodiest battles of the GWOT on October 3, 2009 at COP Keating, when the small outpost was attacked by over 300 Taliban fighters. Rodriguez would lose a close friend during the battle, but it was a friendship that would ultimately spark what would happen after Rodriguez left the Army, turning many negatives into a huge positive. Before losing his friend, Rodriguez promised that if he made it out of Keating alive, he would pursue Division I college football and maybe even the NFL if it led there. And that's exactly what Daniel Rodriguez did, making it as a walk-on at Clemson University, playing 3 years before earning a shot at the NFL. Rodriguez takes us through that journey, from a kid looking for direction, to surviving hellacious combat, to realizing his dreams and living big for those who didn't make it home. Hear it all on our 200th episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.danielrayrodriguez.com | @DanielRod_83 | "Rise: A Soldier, a Dream, and a Promise Kept" | "The Outpost"

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The junior enlisted servicemembers we've had on this show have never shied away from giving the unvarnished truth when talking about their experiences in combat. They join for a myriad of reasons - a sense of patriotism, a career, or they just didn't think they had better options when entering the workforce. Regardless, you can always count on them to shoot straight when asked for their opinions, especially when it comes to life in combat. Justin Piessens enlisted in the Army after high school, thinking at the time he really couldn't find better options. Plus he was always open to new and interesting experiences. Interesting is what he got, serving as a tanker as the war in Iraq started to heat up in 2004, with a growing insurgency just under the surface. After he returned from his first deployment to Iraq, and ten days before leaving the Army for good, he was put on stop-loss, and headed to Ramadi in 2006 at the height of the insurgency. And this time he wasn't going to be riding in a tank. His brigade commander told his unit it was going to be a "meat grinder." That's exactly what it was, both physically and mentally. In this episode, Justin talks about completing one combat deployment and jumping right back into another 15-month hellscape, and how that eventually led him down a dark road. This is a story of combat and survival in the truest sense, and one that fortunately ends on a positive note. Don't miss it!

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Dr. Jeff Cain has led an interesting military career to say the least, as both an Infantryman and a doctor, spanning from the period of the first Gulf War into the Global War on Terrorism. Dr. Cain began his career at West Point, choosing Infantry as his branch upon graduation. Following time with the Berlin Brigade in Germany during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Cain made his way to 3rd Ranger Battalion where he would serve - along with time at Regimental Headquarters - until he made the decision to go to medical school through the Uniformed Services medical school program. Suffice to say, Cain's time serving in special operations left an indelible mark on him, so much so that his intent upon finishing medical school was to go back and serve as a doctor in SOF. Which is exactly what he did, becoming the 1st Ranger Battalion physician, and completing two OEF rotations and one OIF rotation with multiple JSOTFs. Cain even ended up serving as the lead medical planner for the Jessica Lynch rescue, going in with the recovery force and remaining on the ground to secure other remains during exfil. Today Dr. Cain still practices medicine while focusing on productive methods for treating post-traumatic stress, sustaining a valuable connection between medicine and the veteran and military communities. Hear his inspiring story on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

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When Tom Spooner enlisted in the Army, he had every intention of becoming a Ranger. But, a last minute change in orders would send him to the 82nd Airborne, where he quickly found, Ranger or not, that he was in his element as a paratrooper. From then on, wherever Spooner went in the military he would find his element along with seasoned veterans who mentored him into a proven combat leader and special operator. Aside from serving in the 82nd, Spooner went on to earn his Green Beret and serve in Special Forces for a little bit before being selected to serve in the Army’s top special mission unit. His experience in combat, coupled with the tools given him by the mentors who fought before him would also help him find a way to heal his mind and body after 12 deployments, and suffering the effects of traumatic brain injury. Make no mistake about it Tom Spooner is a warrior in the truest sense of the word, and today, he helps run Warriors Heart, which he co-founded - a veteran service organization where warriors help other warriors heal through treatment for chemical dependency, alcohol abuse, and co-occurring psychological disorders relating to PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury, carrying on his legacy of service while helping other warriors heal after combat. Hear his powerful story of combat and survival on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.warriorsheart.com

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Gordon Sumner joined the military at the end of the Vietnam War era. As such, the timing of his entry into service led to very unique experiences while serving overseas, both in combat, and during the tense years of the Cold War. He began his military career as an Infantry officer, but through a weird twist of fate, would transition to Aviation before nearly resigning his commission. That move to Aviation would set Sumner on a trajectory to Grenada, where he commanded an Air Cavalry unit with the 82nd Airborne Division. He would also be one of the few to be combat wounded during fighting there. Sumner would also go on to serve with the British Army as an American exchange officer. That position would lead to him becoming the first American to command an attack helicopter squadron in the British Army - work that would put him at the forefront of efforts to quell attacks by the Irish Republican Army. After retiring as a Colonel, Sumner would take part in one of his greatest acts of service - working with Veteran Service Organizations, particularly Veterans Moving Forward, where he currently serves as President and CEO. Hear the complete story on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.vetsfwd.org

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This is a story of combat and survival in the truest sense. Survival not just from bullets and bombs in Baghdad, but from the indelible scars war leaves on those who’ve experienced it firsthand. Jeff Morris is one of those individuals. His time as an Army infantry officer led him to fight in Iraq both as a platoon leader and company commander. It would carry him through bloody firefights where he would lead soldiers, all trying to survive, and achieve the “little victories” that make long, drawn out campaigns seem worth the sacrifice. And ultimately, it would take him to the brink of his humanity, forcing the reckoning that undoubtedly comes for a man who has lived through combat and chooses to be a force for good after he returns home. Hear Jeff Morris’s powerful story of combat and survival, from officer candidate eager to get into the fight to war veteran searching for healing, on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

"LEGION RISING: Surviving Combat And The Scars It Left Behind"

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Don Culp's passion for aviation began as a young boy. Watching his stepfather work with the Navy's Blue Angels demonstration team, Don knew he wanted to join the military, and specifically go into aviation when he graduated from high school. His journey would take him a little longer than expected though, as he was initially recruited into chemical operations instead of aviation in the late 90's. It would take him roughly a decade and five attempts to transfer out of his Chemical specialty and into Army Aviation. He went from E-6 to Warrant Officer Candidate, and not long after, into flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. By 2011, Culp graduated as an Apache pilot, and three weeks later deployed to Iraq for his first combat tour. But, Culp's aviation career would not come without challenges - one in particular was directly related to his daughter who was born a few days before he left for Warrant Officer Candidate School. In this episode, Don Culp talks about those challenges and how they shaped him not just as an aviator, but as a father, and the man he is today. Hear his powerful story on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.braelynaubreyfoundation.squarespace.com

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From an early age, Michael Waltz was drawn to history, devouring every history book he could get his hands on at the local library. Raised by a single mother, who worked her way up the corporate ladder from clerk to executive vice president for Prudential Securities, Waltz had plenty of inspiration to draw from. That, coupled with his deep knowledge of history, led him to want to serve his country, where the path his mother took was possible. He ended up graduating from the Virginia Military Institute, and eventually earning his Green Beret after leaving active duty and returning to the Reserve Forces to continue serving. After the Q Course, Waltz served multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. He has also served as a White House and Pentagon policy advisor, coupling his on-the-ground combat knowledge with strategic policy formulation and direction. He is now a U.S. Congressman, representing Florida’s 6th congressional district, and advocating for more servant leadership in government and a national service program. Hear the full story of Michael Waltz's journey from Green Beret to Congressman on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

https://waltz.house.gov

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Service over self. Character over affiliation. Values over personal gain. Mike Jason learned these tenets at an early age in a place far away from the United States. Born to two American expats in Italy, as a child Mike would often hear the locals talk about what the Americans did for them during World War II. His patriotism and love for the American military was born out of these conversations. So when Mike was 11 and his family moved back to the United States, he knew he wanted to join the profession of arms, and serve the country and ideals that others who had never even set foot in the U.S., spoke so highly of and appreciated so much. That journey took him to West Point, and after graduation, eventually into combat in the Global War on Terror. Mike Jason has led from the troop level all the way up to formulating policy in the Pentagon. After serving for over two decades, Mike retired as a full bird colonel. He continues to uphold the values he swore to when he entered the military, while working to combat veteran suicide and serve the next generation of leaders. His journey, from young boy swapping one "foreign" country for another, to becoming the American Soldier he heard so much about as a kid, is one we all can take something positive from. Hear his entire story on this week's episode of HAZARD GROUND!

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