Hazard Ground

Like many kids coming out of high school, James LaPorta just wanted to get on with life. His country was at war, and he had little interest in going to college - at least right away. So he joined the Marine Corps, signing up for the infantry. That decision would take him to Afghanistan, to fight in his country's war, and fundamentally change who he was as a person. It would also prepare him for life after the Marine Corps. He wanted to make the Marines a career, but the military had different plans. So LaPorta decided to pursue journalism as a way to continue to serve, especially in an age where speed in reporting meant more than accuracy and facts. He wanted to make sure the story was told, and told correctly. LaPorta now serves as the senior correspondent for Newsweek covering national security and military affairs. Hear his inspiring journey on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

@JimLaPorta

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Before "Lone Survivor" - the story of Operation Red Wings as told by Marcus Luttrell, the only SEAL to survive that operation - there was ODA 525. Assigned a special reconnaissance mission inside Iraq on the eve of the Desert Storm ground war, the Green Berets of ODA 525 faced a moral dilemma of magnificent proportions when their hide site was discovered by local children. Poor intel on the hide site location put the men of ODA 525 in a populated area of the desert, where they would face overwhelming odds if discovered. CW2 Chad Balwanz, commander of 525 tells the story of how he and his men decided not to kill the Iraqi children who stumbled upon their hide site, only to take their chances fighting off a numerically superior force. This is one of the most impactful stories to come out of the Gulf War, and Balwanz tells it like it happened yesterday. Hear his amazing firsthand account of ODA 525 and the small team of Green Berets who took on Saddam's forces deep behind enemy lines, on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

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It's only fitting that after serving his country for 36 years in the Army, retired Brigadier General Don Bolduc would decide once again to serve his country and his community at the highest possible level. He is currently running for U.S. Senate in his home state of New Hampshire. BG Bolduc was motivated to run by what he describes as a "crisis of leadership in national politics." Leadership is one thing the general knows very well, and has put into practice for over three decades. He's lead soldiers in combat numerous times, and was one of the legendary “horse soldiers” - U.S. special operations soldiers who were part of the Afghanistan invasion force following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He's also a pioneer of combating the stigma around and treatment of post-traumatic stress (PTS) - a role that has earned him the nickname, “Everyone’s General” by his fellow servicemembers. His story is one you don't want to miss. Hear it on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.donbolduc.com | @GenDonBolduc

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After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Jason Robinson felt a calling to serve in the military. Notably, he felt it was his duty to serve having been born into a free society - a way to earn his citizenship. He also wanted to do his part to ensure the U.S. military didn’t revert back to a draft to fight the Global War on Terror - something his sons could have faced as they grew older. Robinson chose the Infantry at age 34 - no easy feat. He literally had to fight his way into the Infantry, writing letters to both President Bush and Vice President Cheney so that he could join in his mid-thirties. Robinson went on to fight honorably in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, receiving the Purple Heart for injuries he sustained in an EFP strike. Needless to say, Jason Robinson earned his citizenship and then some. Hear his inspiring story on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

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We've covered the Battle of Mogadishu - popularized by the movie and book, "Black Hawk Down" - multiple times on the podcast. But, we haven't covered it from the perspective of the combat search and rescue (CSAR) team sent in to rescue the crews of the Black Hawks shot down on October 3, 1993 over the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia. John Belman was a Ranger on the CSAR team that was dropped in to the first crash site. On arrival at the site, Belman and his teammates were thrust into a chaotic scene of whirling dirt and debris and intense enemy gunfire. The situation on the ground was so dire that Belman just assumed he'd never make it out alive. Fortunately he did though, after an overnight battle between a relatively small U.S. force and literally an entire city. Hear yet another unique perspective on the battle that you just can't get from book or film, straight from an Army Ranger who lived through it, on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.johnbelman.net | www.goruck.com

Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.com, click on the Amazon banner on the home page, and do your Amazon shopping from there. THE BEST PART IS we donate proceeds from this partnership to the vet organizations featured on this podcast. Help us out, help out these great organizations, and head over to hazardground.com and click on the Amazon banner today, and shop away!

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John Stryker Meyer earned his Green Beret in December of 1967. About five months later, he was based in Vietnam, fighting a very deadly and secret war in Laos and Cambodia. For John and his fellow Green Berets, the war in Vietnam was fought in the shadows. And they arguably gained considerable ground in the fight, despite virtually zero public recognition for their contributions at the time. Their efforts were audacious and struck at the heart of an enemy fighting an unconventional war - tricky ground for the larger conventional U.S. force so often associated with the war. John takes us through the mindset of the Green Beret preparing for and facing off against such a largely unconventional enemy, sharing what it was like to operate so close to them, that at one point an enemy soldier unwittingly touched John's boot in the pitch-black darkness as he crawled past him and his team. Hear this amazing story on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

"Across the Fence" | "On The Ground: The Secret War in Vietnam" | "SOG Chronicles: Volume One"

Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.com, click on the Amazon banner on the home page, and do your Amazon shopping from there. THE BEST PART IS we donate proceeds from this partnership to the vet organizations featured on this podcast. Help us out, help out these great organizations, and head over to hazardground.com and click on the Amazon banner today, and shop away!

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On November 9, 2010, Zach Stinson, a Marine fighting in Afghanistan, stepped on an IED. The blast took both of his legs, and a few fingers. But, the blast did not take his zeal for life. Listening to him talk about this experience, you would never think that he's faced great challenges and extremely low moments trying to get back to the normalcy of everyday life. He has handled his injuries with the same bravery and stoicism he displayed when taking "point" while searching the village compound that hid the IED that changed his life forever. He's even looked past his injuries and "limits" and started competing in triathlons as a double amputee. Zach Stinson's story is amazing, and one we all can take inspiration from, no matter what our station is in life. Check it out on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.com, click on the Amazon banner on the home page, and do your Amazon shopping from there. THE BEST PART IS we donate proceeds from this partnership to the vet organizations featured on this podcast. We just made our 3rd donation, this time to the Pat Tillman Foundation. So let's keep this going so we can make more and bigger donations! Help us out, help out these great organizations, and head over to hazardground.com and click on the Amazon banner today, and shop away!

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When Pasha Palanker was 15, he and his family immigrated to the U.S. from Moldova. Although his family lived in a rough neighborhood on a very low income, Pasha was happy and proud to be living in America, whose opportunities far outnumbered those of his birthplace. In an effort to repay the U.S. government for the assistance provided to him and his family after they arrived from Moldova, Pasha enlisted in the Army, shortly after the war in Iraq kicked off in 2003. Following multiple deployments to Iraq, Pasha had been blown up more than once, and suffered multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries. His experiences left him with the lasting effects of PTSD. In this episode he talks about his journey - how he survived multiple blasts and came face-to-face with a suicide bomber, and how he is now working through the issues caused by his injuries. This is an open and insightful conversation about the indelible wounds of war we can't see that are still plaguing servicemembers long after they come home.

www.getheadstrong.org | www.teamrubiconusa.org

Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.com, click on the Amazon banner on the home page, and do your Amazon shopping from there. THE BEST PART IS we donate proceeds from this partnership to the vet organizations featured on this podcast. We just made our 3rd donation, this time to the Pat Tillman Foundation. So let's keep this going so we can make more and bigger donations! Help us out, help out these great organizations, and head over to hazardground.com and click on the Amazon banner today, and shop away!

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Normally, this week's guest would be billed as a "Special Guest" as Joe Galloway was never actually in the military. But if history has anything to say about it, there's no doubt he's earned his stripes, going all the way back to his first overseas assignments in Vietnam. Early on, Galloway was embedded with the 1st Cavalry Division during the Battle of Ia Drang, the first major battle of the Vietnam War. He not only covered the battle, but also fought to save the lives of other American soldiers during fierce ground fighting. He was eventually awarded the Bronze Star with "V" for Valor for rescuing wounded soldiers under fire at Ia Drang, becoming the only civilian to receive a combat medal from the Army during the Vietnam War. Galloway would serve a total of four tours in Vietnam, and then cover every major American conflict up to the Global War on Terror. He's been described as "a soldier’s reporter and a soldier’s friend,” and there's no doubt that sentiment shines through in this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

"We Were Soldiers Once...and Young" | "The Vietnam War"

Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.com, click on the Amazon banner on the home page, and do your Amazon shopping from there. THE BEST PART IS we donate proceeds from this partnership to the vet organizations featured on this podcast. We just made our 3rd donation, this time to the Pat Tillman Foundation. So let's keep this going so we can make more and bigger donations! Help us out, help out these great organizations, and head over to hazardground.com and click on the Amazon banner today, and shop away!

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Patrick Murphy is the first Iraq War veteran elected to the U.S. Congress, representing Pennsylvania. Following his time in Congress, he was confirmed as the 32nd Under Secretary of the Army, serving until January 2017. Murphy may be a veteran of U.S. politics, but this conversation is anything but a political one. Murphy deployed to Iraq in 2003 with the 82nd Airborne, and also taught at West Point during his tenure as a U.S. Army officer. He’s a special breed of leader who truly understands what it means to be a patriot and look beyond self to serve the greater good for those around him and the people he once directly represented in Congress. He’s made holistic changes for the better in the military, and he continues to lead as a vetrepreneur and soldier-statesman today. Hear Patrick Murphy’s powerful and inspiring story on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!

www.patrickjmurphy.com

Do your Amazon shopping with us, and give back to veterans organizations at the same time! Go to www.hazardground.com, click on the Amazon banner on the home page, and do your Amazon shopping from there. THE BEST PART IS we donate proceeds from this partnership to the vet organizations featured on this podcast. We recently made our 3rd donation, this time to the Pat Tillman Foundation. So let's keep this going so we can make more and bigger donations! Help us out, help out these great organizations, and head over to hazardground.com and click on the Amazon banner today, and shop away!

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! So many great and honest companies with great products!

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