Hazard Ground

Searching for a higher purpose, and a sense of selflessness and brotherhood, Rob Jones enlisted in the Marine Corps at 20, while still attending college at Virginia Tech. His sense of purpose and the warrior mentality that the Corps gave him were put to the test after he sustained devastating injuries on July 22, 2010 in Afghanistan. While sweeping a field for suspected IEDs, Jones stepped on a land mine. The blast would leave him a double amputee. What most people see as insurmountable, Rob Jones saw as just another challenge. He has since faced down that challenge, making a quick recovery and going on to become a bronze medal Paralympian, among other amazing feats, including running 31 marathons in 31 days! And now he hopes to carry on that warrior mentality as a leader in Washington - he is currently running to represent the 10th District of Virginia in the U.S. Congress. Hear about Rob Jones’ incredible and inspiring journey on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.robjonesjourney.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Klein grew up with vivid stories of his grandfather flying dive bomb missions in World War II. His grandfather had signed up shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Much like his grandfather, Klein joined the military shortly after 9/11. He signed up to serve in the Infantry - a job that would provide more than its fair share of hairy moments through two combat deployments to Iraq as the insurgency there gained steam. A chance opportunity to take the NYPD entrance test eventually led to Klein leaving the Army and becoming a detective with the NYPD. An avid and talented artist, whose father was a career animator with Walt Disney and Warner Brothers, Klein now serves as a Forensic Sketch Artist. He's also the creator of Rendar ART and "Battle Tribe" - a cool, Star Wars take on military operators. Hear how Matt Klein survived some very close calls in combat, including an IED blast for which he was awarded a Purple Heart, to earning a coveted spot as one of three Forensic Sketch Artists with his unit in the NYPD, on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND! 

@mattrendar | "Battle Tribe"

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's safe to say that fate has been on Gary Wetzel's side since the day he stepped foot in Vietnam. He survived 5 helicopter crashes; he's a living recipient of the Medal of Honor from his time there; he was shot, stabbed, and blown up on the battlefield; and he's come full circle in meeting those who treated him after his 5th helicopter crash, decades later. That 5th crash and subsequent firefight that earned him the Medal of Honor came on January 8, 1968. Wetzel's arm was nearly blown off in the initial engagement, forcing him to fend off a multitude of enemy fighters with just one arm and a machine gun. Decades later, Wetzel continues to honor the lives he saved that day, as well as the lives of those he couldn't by sharing his story with groups all over the country. He wears the medal for them, and for the unsung heroes, especially those who never made it home from war. Hear his incredible story of courage under fire, honor, and service on this Memorial Day edition of HAZARD GROUND!

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Strap in folks, because in this episode we go deep into the life and survival of Justin Lascek. Justin is a Green Beret Medic, who was blown up a little over a year ago while fighting in Afghanistan. The blast ended up taking both of his legs, and a couple of other vital parts which you’ll hear about in the episode. What the blast didn’t take was Justin’s indomitable warrior spirit, which is undeniable when you hear him tell his story. Ultimately, his strength, cultivated well before he enlisted, and his will to live carried him through the excruciating pain of an aggressively fast recovery. This episode gets deep, it gets dark, it gets light, and it’s one you don’t want to miss. Hear it all, and even how Justin Lascek went from combat wounded to inspiring others through his appearance on the "Joe Rogan Experience" and touring with musician Sturgill Simpson in support of the Special Forces Foundation, on this powerful, latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

@justin.lascek | Special Forces Foundation | www.sturgillsimpson.com | "The Justin Lascek Podcast"

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Chenelly’s path to the Marine Corps started from a very unlikely place. As he describes it, his parents were hippies. And after initially finding college to be something he didn't necessarily have an affinity for, Chenelly enlisted in the Marines. Joining not long before 9/11, Chenelly would eventually end up at the forefront of America’s war on terror as a combat journalist. In fact, Chenelly was the first Marine combat correspondent to step foot into enemy territory after 9/11. He was also part of the initial invasion into Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Joe Chenelly now continues to serve as the National Executive Director for AMVETS, one of the leading veteran service organizations in America. Hear what it was like to be on the front lines of America's response to 9/11, as well as Joe's amazing work with AMVETS in support of those returning home from war, in this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.amvets.org | www.rollingtoremember.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vincent "Rocco" Vargas thought his life would be baseball. He was on the path to take a stab at the majors, but academic ineligibility while playing college ball pushed him in a different direction. Inspired by military service and seeking a way to provide a stable means of supporting his first child, Vargas enlisted in the Army in 2003. He knew he wanted the most challenging job possible in the military, and ultimately settled on becoming an Army Ranger. After 3 deployments with the 75th Ranger Regiment, experiencing combat and the highs and lows that come with it, Vargas decided to leave active duty to pursue a new chapter. He is now a working actor and writer. You can catch him regularly as "Gilly" on the FX show and "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff, "Mayans M.C.", along with other acting projects he has coming out. Experience the inspiring evolution of Vincent "Rocco" Vargas on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.vincentroccovargas.com | "Mayans M.C." | @MayansFX | "Light The Fuse"

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amber Smith grew up around aviation. It was in her blood - her father and grandfather were pilots, and it wasn't uncommon for aviation to be the center of nightly conversation around the dinner table. But, Amber didn't immediately follow the path to becoming an aviator. It wasn't until after heading off to college and then 9/11, which she says made her re-prioritize her life, that she decided to join the military to fly in combat. She would go on to become an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot and air mission commander in the 101st Airborne Division, flying two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through it all, it's clear from Amber's story that she is an example of what it means to be undeniable - to put in the work and be the best at your job no matter your background or what the job is. A trait that certainly saved lives in combat, and one she embodies in life after the Army. Hear her powerful story on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

"Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan" | www.officialambersmith.com

This episode is brought to you by MyFrontPageStory.com! MyFrontPageStory.com is a brand new way to celebrate major life events and turn them into your own piece of front-page news. Each story is written by professional journalists and are perfect for anniversaries, weddings, graduations, retirements and many more occasions. Special offer for "Hazard Ground" listeners inside the episode!

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Will Bardenwerper returns to the show, and goes back to Ranger School. Will graduated the Army's grueling combat leadership school in 2004, but returned recently to write a piece for Outside Magazine on Ranger class 05-19. Bardenwerper admits he's more often jolted from a deep sleep by a dream about Ranger School than he is by anything related to his own experiences in combat. Going back to chronicle class 05-19 may have actually changed that, but if anything, it gives outsiders a look into one of the toughest and most demanding military training courses out there. If you're interested in attending Ranger School, or ever wondered what goes on during this 9-week test of a soldier's physical and mental fortitude, this is one episode you don't want to miss!

"Army Ranger School Is a Laboratory of Human Endurance" | "The Prisoner in His Palace" | www.willbardenwerper.com

This episode is brought to you by MyFrontPageStory.com! MyFrontPageStory.com is a brand new way to celebrate major life events and turn them into your own piece of front-page news. Each story is written by professional journalists and are perfect for anniversaries, weddings, graduations, retirements and many more occasions. Special offer for "Hazard Ground" listeners inside the episode!

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're featuring another Special Guest, whose story is characterized by resilience as well as connected to recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. On April 15, 2013, Marc Fucarile was severely injured by the second of two bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon. He was attending the race as a spectator, watching a friend of his run, and was standing just a few feet away from the second bomb when it detonated. Fucarile lost his right leg above the knee in the blast, nearly lost his left leg and was covered with severe burns, shrapnel wounds, and even still has shrapnel lodged in his heart. His true recovery didn't happen, though, until he was given an opportunity for treatment at Walter Reed. Hear how that happened along with Mark's inspirational story on this special edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.marcfucarile.com

This episode is brought to you by MyFrontPageStory.com! MyFrontPageStory.com is a brand new way to celebrate major life events and turn them into your own piece of front-page news. Each story is written by professional journalists and are perfect for anniversaries, weddings, graduations, retirements and many more occasions. Special offer for "Hazard Ground" listeners inside the episode!

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A measured decision led Tom Kerr to pursue the Green Beret after 4 years in the Infantry. He wanted to do more in combat, serve with the elite, and know that what he was doing every time he deployed to a combat theater was not only challenging, but tangible. Following more deployments as a Green Beret, a back injury nearly sent Kerr out of the military and a job he loved more than anything. But, he found purpose in a new position working to modernize and innovate combat gear and systems for Special Operations forces until his back healed and he could deploy again. Tom Kerr is still serving as a Green Beret on active duty, nearing the end of a 20-year career, while also working on the next chapter building a clothing start-up called, Eighth Order. Hear his inspiring story of combat, resilience, and healing on this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.eighthorder.com | Arc'teryx LEAF- Special Operations Care Fund

This episode is brought to you by MyFrontPageStory.com! MyFrontPageStory.com is a brand new way to celebrate major life events and turn them into your own piece of front-page news. Each story is written by professional journalists and are perfect for anniversaries, weddings, graduations, retirements and many more occasions. Special offer for "Hazard Ground" listeners inside the episode!

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices