Hazard Ground

It’s hard to put into words the magnitude of Joe Getherall’s service to country from the time he enlisted in the Marine Corps to his retirement as a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department.  One thing is certain though, he embodies the qualities that every great leader should and needs to possess: selfless service, humility, mental-toughness, and courage under fire. He displayed those attributes during his three tours in Vietnam. Known as the “Iceman,” he was wounded three times during the war, and was eventually awarded the Silver Star for his actions in combat. That award is now under review for upgrade to the Medal of Honor under Bill H.R. 974, sponsored by Congresswoman Napolitano and endorsed by Senator McCain, for Joe’s heroic actions in Quang Tri Province on December 22, 1966. Hear Joe’s description of the battle and what led him to return to Vietnam so many times in spite of the constant bloodshed, on this very special and inspirational episode of HAZARD GROUND!

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Don’t ever say that a little anger can’t be turned around for good. Matthew Betley is living proof that a whole lotta disdain for something, if re-directed in the right way, can lead to something pretty amazing. He took his anger, specifically for a highly-recommended international spy thriller he decided to start reading on vacation, but just couldn’t finish because it was so poorly written, and turned it into an action-thriller book series of his own. Before that though, he spent ten years as an officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to both Djibouti and Fallujah. He’s also a recovering alcoholic, with 9-1/2 years of sobriety. And now he is the author of three books in the Logan West Thrillers Series: Overwatch, Oath of Honor, and Field of Valor, with more on the way! This is an amazing story of one man who thought he could do much better, and did just that. Period. Don’t miss it!

www.matthewbetley.com | “Overwatch” | “Oat h of Honor” | “Field of Valor”

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Thinking he would go to college & follow a much different path, Alex Juedes ended up “dropping out” to follow in his father’s footsteps & become a Marine. He loved being a Marine in fact. But, on January 25, 2014, Alex Juedes was manning an MRAP gun turret in Afghanistan when an RPG slammed into the feed tray of his machine gun. Immediately, his right hand was gone and he was bleeding from shrapnel piercing his femoral artery. Alex made it out of Afghanistan alive though, but would never return to the Marine Corps as a rifleman. If he had to do it all over again, he says he would head right back to Afghanistan to fight as an infantry Marine. He speaks humbly of his injuries & what he endured half a world away & back at home. But deep within is a warrior spirit that truly shines through in this episode. He is now helping others exponentially & giving back to those who followed a similar path, returning from combat never to be the same as when they left, through his non-profit, Purple Heart Cruise. This is a special episode, with an incredible warrior, that you don’t want to miss!

www.purpleheartcruise.org

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If you’ve ever wondered what the power of the mind looks like, and you’re also looking for some inspiration, then this is the episode for you! John Timar is a former Navy SEAL, who is now the Chief Sales Officer for Kill Cliff, a leading clean hydration and sports nutrition brand for elite athletes. John is also a successful, long-time entrepreneur. As a young man he set his sights on becoming a Navy SEAL despite the many naysayers along the way. In this episode John takes us through the long, grueling journey to become a Navy SEAL, what life was like in the SEAL teams in the ‘90s, and what led him to become a successful entrepreneur. So, if you’re looking for a shot of motivation, or just want to learn how to become a badass in the business world, then check out this latest episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.killcliff.com

This week’s episode is brought to you by all of our sponsors: PATAGONIA, FIVE TEN/ADIDAS, HYDRO FLASK, ONNIT, MOOSEJAW, MOUNTAIN GEAR, & UNCHARTED SUPPLY CO. Go to www.hazardground/sponsors and check ’em out! Supporting our sponsors, supports the show!!

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This week we step off the beaten path and cover an oft-forgotten operation, and the stellar career in special operations of Steve Dawson. Steve spent 25 years in the Army – most of those with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Special Forces. He spent the better part of his career as an operator with Delta Force. He also took part in the rescue operation of Kurt Muse, an American civilian living in Panama and held captive during Noriega’s rule in Panama in the late ’80s, also known as Operation Acid Gambit. Acid Gambit is considered one of the most daring hostage rescues ever attempted. In this episode Steve gives a firsthand account of the successful rescue operation, along with some lighter moments as a Delta operator going through the Special Forces Q Course. Hear all about it this week on HAZARD GROUND!

This week’s episode is brought to you by all of our sponsors: PATAGONIA, FIVE TEN/ADIDAS, HYDRO FLASK, ONNIT, MOOSEJAW, MOUNTAIN GEAR, & UNCHARTED SUPPLY CO. Go to www.hazardground/sponsors and check ’em out! Supporting our sponsors, supports the show!!

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On April 11, 2011 former Marine, Brian Aft stepped on an IED in Kajaki, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, while on a routine foot patrol. The blast ended up taking both of his legs, and ultimately leading him down a very dark path. He turned to hardcore drugs to numb the pain, and simply get through every day life as a double amputee. Then one day he was approached by former NFL linebacker, David Vobora in a parking lot. Vobora approached Brian with such enthusiasm that Aft thought the giant former pro football player was going to mug him. It turns out, Vobora simply wanted to know what happened to Aft, and if Brian was interested in joining his gym, the Adaptive Training Foundation, as a means of recovering physically, mentally, and from drug addiction. Hear about Brian Aft’s unlikely road to recovery with the help of a former NFLer, on this special episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.adaptivetrainingfoundation.org | www.highfivesfoundation.org

This week’s episode is brought to you by all of our sponsors: PATAGONIA, FIVE TEN/ADIDAS, HYDRO FLASK, ONNIT, MOOSEJAW, MOUNTAIN GEAR, & UNCHARTED SUPPLY CO. Go to www.hazardground/sponsors and check ’em out! Supporting our sponsors, supports the show!!

Thank you all for the iTunes reviews! They help so much…Keep ’em coming!!

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Ryan Hepworth worked on some of the most intense trauma cases as an Army nurse. He knew he was going to experience those situations when he volunteered to work in combat trauma. A decision he says was based on a willingness to "know" the patients he was working on. Working in the combat hospital in Afghanistan brought him face-to-face with the worst that humans can do to one another in war. So much so that every time Ryan talks about his experiences in Afghanistan, his words take him back to the moments, the intensity, the smells when so many heavily injured servicemembers were brought to him for urgent, lifesaving care. And it also stirs up memories of those he couldn't save. Talking about it is the therapy that helps him with PTSD, a direct result of his time spent in Afghanistan. This is an emotional episode, but one that is intended to help us all better understand the dark effects that war has on those who've experienced it, and what's needed to keep that darkness from taking one more life.

www.shadowwarriorfoundation.org

This week’s episode is brought to you by all of our sponsors: PATAGONIA, FIVE TEN/ADIDAS, HYDRO FLASK, ONNIT, MOOSEJAW, MOUNTAIN GEAR, & UNCHARTED SUPPLY CO. Go to www.hazardground/sponsors and check ’em out! Supporting our sponsors, supports the show!!

Thank you all for the iTunes reviews! They help so much...Keep 'em coming!

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Richard Prince fought in one of the most horrific battles of Vietnam, and one that often gets overlooked. The battle for Hue City during the Tet Offensive of 1968 was an all-out grudge match & street fight that lasted for several weeks. Prince found himself fighting in one of the most hellish engagements of the battle, below the Dong Ba Tower at the city’s imperial Citadel, where many Marines perished. During the fight, Prince was shot through the neck by a sniper, permanently damaging his vocal chords. Fortunately, Prince made it out of the Citadel, and the battle, alive. Fifty years later, Richard Prince returned to the reconstructed Dong Ba Tower in Hue City, with The Greatest Generations Foundation, a nonprofit that provides free visits to battlefields where Vietnam and World War II veterans served. Hear about Prince’s fight to survive and save other Marines, and his bittersweet return to the place that had once been hell on earth for him & so many others, on this episode of HAZARD GROUND!

This week’s episode is brought to you by all of our sponsors: PATAGONIA, FIVE TEN/ADIDAS, HYDRO FLASK, ONNIT, MOOSEJAW, MOUNTAIN GEAR, & UNCHARTED SUPPLY CO. Go to www.hazardground/sponsors and check ’em out! Supporting our sponsors, supports the show!!

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This week we return with another episode with the living legend, Mike Vining. Mike has taken part in so many unique missions as an Operator and EOD Technician. And we cover a handful of those in this week’s episode. From Vietnam to Presidential elections, to prison riots, to the bombing of Khobar Towers, Mike Vining brings you firsthand accounts of rare special missions, and some pretty intense moments on the ground and in the air. Check it out, on this Part II episode with Mike Vining!

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This week’s episode is a little less about combat engagements, and more about another deadly threat amongst veterans: suicide. Master Sgt. Orlando Reyes served in three combat deployments to Iraq, but never faced a greater enemy than the one within. The stress from those deployments, the PTSD, and the failed relationships that resulted, drove Reyes to attempt to take his own life. Luckily for him, and others, he wasn’t successful, and because of that, he’s vowed to help save others from suicide. He has since become a top suicide prevention trainer for the Marine Corps, and was even named Marine Corps Times’ 2014 Marine of the Year. Once a Marine who worked tirelessly on the battlefield to keep Marines alive, now Reyes works to save the lives of those Marines who have left it!

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