Hazard Ground

As a Green Beret, Joe Serna has been through just about everything in combat: he’s been blown up a couple of times, shot at, and nearly drown in an armored vehicle when the road under it gave way next to a canal. And with all those combat injuries, most certainly comes PTSD, which Joe has most certainly battled. The breaking point came a few years ago when Joe was arrested for drunk driving. He subsequently broke his probation & ironically found an unintended healing point when the judge who sentenced him spent the 24 hours in jail with him knowing that Serna’s PTSD makes confined spaces torturous. When you listen to Serna speak, you can tell that his love of life & family is what keeps him alive. It’s what kept him engaged with the judge that one night in jail, so the walls “didn’t exist.” And it’s what helped him push past simple luck those dark days in combat. This is another inspiring episode you don’t want to miss!

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From a young age, Cliff Anders wanted to fly helicopters in the military. Getting into the cockpit seemed to be a breeze for Cliff, but getting to war, to “do his part,” was not so easy. He was in flight school during September 11, 2001, but it would be several more years & a few moves around the world to various Apache & training outfits, before Cliff would finally see combat. You see, Cliff is a determined individual – so much so that he & a fellow pilot would call the Army’s Personnel Command every night during their tour in Korea to try & get reassigned to a unit heading to fight in the Middle East once the Global War on Terror kicked off. In the end Cliff would have to wait nearly 5 years before finally seeing combat. And when he did, he was thrown straight into the lion’s den. On this episode, Cliff Anders talks about those first experiences flying in combat & how they changed him as a person & the incredible connection he formed with those soldiers on the ground who he supported by fire, but only knew by voice. This is another great episode you don’t want to miss!!

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Josh Jespersen’s entrance into the military wasn’t exactly conventional. But then again, there really isn’t much about Josh that is “conventional.” And he’s just about the nicest & decent human being you’ll ever meet, too! Once in the military, Josh quickly earned the Trident of a Navy SEAL & went on to honorably serve several years as a SEAL, surviving combat tours in Iraq & Afghanistan. After leaving the Navy he co-founded Mission Memorial Day – an organization that has set out to bring back the true meaning & recognition to Memorial Day by serving “not only those who made it back from the battle field, but also those who didn’t.” Mission Memorial Day (MMD) honors those who never made it home from war by encouraging decoration of monuments or servicemembers’ graves, or engaging in a physically demanding activity or small expedition. Aside from co-founding MMD, Josh also holds the speed record for climbing & snowboarding down all of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks in just 138 days – a record previously held by a professional big mountain skier. In a nutshell, Josh is the epitome of the silent professional – he’s truly a warrior & inspirational dude, & we are honored to have him on the show!

www.voag.org | @joshjespersen

This week’s episode is once again UNOFFICIALLY brought to you by NO COW protein bars. 1g of sugar & they still taste great! “No Cow, No Bull, No Whey!” Try ’em today…Tell ’em Hazard Ground sent yah! www.nocow.com

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Two men…One of them wanted to work in special operations from the start, & ended up serving a long career in the most elite forces in the U.S. military, fighting in The Battle of Mogadishu all the way into the Global War on Terror. The other holds the unique distinction of playing in both Nirvana & Soundgarden before deciding to join the Army & going on to serve in Special Forces for the rest of his military career. They are “Brad” & Jason Everman, both the truest form of modern day warriors you’ll ever meet. And now both of them are returning to their music roots to form a new band called “Silence and Light” with the intent to give back to the community they served with, through music. They plan to record an album this summer with a major producer, & give all proceeds from the record back to veterans & service charities! These are two incredible humans on an episode you don’t want to miss! And don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review on iTunes…Every review helps grow the show!

www.warriorsheart.com | silenceandlightmusic.com

This week’s episode is once again UNOFFICIALLY brought to you by No Cow protein bars. No Cow bars provide a high amount of protein with just 1g of sugar & they still taste great! So if you’re into living and eating healthy, try No Cow bars to get that protein boost when you need it most. In the words of No Cow, “No Cow isn’t just for the dairy intolerant, it’s for the bull$#*t intolerant. Those who choose to live a healthy life and demand better.” We actually use No Cow bars & they really are what they say they are. No bull$#*t! www.nocow.com

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This is sure to be part one of a multi-interview series with US Army & Delta Force legend, retired SGM Mike Vining. Vining enlisted in the Army in 1968. He served in Vietnam as an EOD tech, but after 10 years in EOD he started looking to transition to Special Forces as a medic. He soon found himself, however, going through the selection process for the newly formed 1st SFOD-Delta, more commonly known as “Delta Force” as the Unit was looking to add more EOD techs to its initial roster. Vining successfully graduated the 1st selection class for Delta, and would go on to serve with Delta for the better part of his career. Vining served in many high level operations. So in this episode we dive deep into Operations EAGLE CLAW (Iran) & URGENT FURY (Grenada). Today, Mike Vining spends his time writing, hiking, rock & mountain climbing, & alpine & backcountry skiing, while doing important research work for the National EOD Memorial & working as a committee member for the National EOD Association. This is a very interesting episode, so don’t miss it!

This week’s episode is UNOFFICIALLY brought to you by No Cow protein bars. No Cow bars provide a high amount of protein with just 1g of sugar & they still taste great! So if you’re into living and eating healthy, try No Cow bars to get that protein boost when you need it most. In the words of No Cow, “No Cow isn’t just for the dairy intolerant, it’s for the bull$#*t intolerant. Those who choose to live a healthy life and demand better.” We actually use No Cow bars & they really are what they say they are. No bull$#*t! www.nocow.com

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Our guest this week is not the typical guest we tend to feature on “Hazard Ground.” But we felt it was important to have Steve Cannon on to talk about service & leadership, as he is someone who’s embodied those ideals for a very long time. Steve Cannon is currently the CEO of AMB Group, LLC – the Arthur M. Blank family of businesses, which includes the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, whose business operations Cannon currently leads. He is also a West Point graduate and qualified Army Airborne Ranger, who served in West Germany during the fall of the Iron Curtain. Prior to joining AMB Group, Cannon served as president & CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, where he was responsible for leading operations that generated record sales with annual revenues exceeding $20 billion. Cannon’s leadership philosophy, work ethic, and all-around attitude on perseverance & resilience are the reasons he’s been so successful, while continuing to be a down-to-earth, humble & all-around good human being. This is a must-listen episode…Don’t miss it!!

www.blankfamilyofbusinesses.com | www.johnnymac.org

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We are honored to be joined this week by special guest & author/journalist/filmmaker Sebastian Junger. Junger is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author of such works as “The Perfect Storm,” “War,” & “Tribe.” He is also a documentary filmmaker whose debut film “Restrepo” was nominated for an Academy Award. As an award-winning journalist who’s covered news stories around the world, he’s received both a National Magazine Award & a Peabody Award. He is also known for directing “Korengal,” the sequel to “Restrepo.” Hear how Junger got his start in journalism and filmmaking; hear about his interaction with Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was assassinated just days before 9/11; and what it was like to live alongside, in combat no less, the soldiers whose story he was sharing with the world…On this very special episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.sebastianjunger.com | www.restrepothemovie.com | www.korengalthemovie.com

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We return this week with a guest who at first, humbly, didn’t really believe she had much to offer to the podcast or our general audience. But she in fact does have something important to share, & sharing her story is yet another reason we do the podcast each week – to help others whether they’ve been in the military or not. Margaux Mange is a living example that you can find a way to heal from PTSD & the traumatic effects of having your brain literally rattled in combat. While serving in Iraq, Margaux survived multiple IED blasts, one of which killed her best friend, literally in front of her. For a long time she suffered through finding the right therapy to even try & heal from the blasts & the loss of her friend. It wasn’t until she discovered the healing effects from outdoor pursuits that she actually started to recover. Nothing will bring back the people she lost through war, but she can now live the rest of her days for them. She’s even climbed Denali, just for them. Catch this highly inspirational story of combat & survival on this week’s episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.missionmemorialday.com | www.walkingwiththewounded.org.uk

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There are simply too many positive things to say about Chris Van Etten to fit in this short intro, but what we will say is that his drive & motivation to move beyond his injuries & inspire others is infectious & invigorating. In 2012, while on patrol as a Marine in Afghanistan, Van Etten stepped on an IED. The blast took both of his legs as well as the life of his best friend. The accident took its toll both physically & mentally on Chris. Unsure where his drastically changed life was headed, Van Etten started working out religiously to clear his head. The physique he attained eventually landed him as an underwear model with Jockey’s inspirational “Show ’Em What’s Underneath” campaign. And a desire to pursue projects that help motivate & inspire others has driven Van Etten toward acting, where he currently plays “Chet” – also an injured vet – on ABC’s daytime drama, “General Hospital.” Van Etten also continues to work as a motivational speaker, and if this episode of “Hazard Ground” doesn’t inspire you, we’re pretty sure nothing will. So many good stories in this one, so check it out!

www.bravacreativegroup.com | www.opboom.org | @chrisvanetten_official

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Today we pick-up with Ryan Pitts’ story as the Anti-Afghan force begins their deadly and sustained assault on Pitts and his observation post, in the vicinity of Wanat Village, Kunar Province, Afghanistan on July 13, 2008!

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