In this episode of Old Ranger New Dad, Seth Ryan sits down with former United States Marine Corps veteran Rich Brown — founder of: The Guido Foundation, co-owner of 'Honor Bound Fit,' and leader of an executive protection team serving high-level corporate clients.

But this conversation goes far deeper than resumes and titles.

Rich shares his mission to confront the growing crisis facing veterans, first responders, and young men who feel disconnected, directionless, or spiritually empty. Together, Seth and Rich dive into leadership, responsibility, service, brotherhood, masculinity, faith, discipline, and the dangerous cultural drift pulling many young men away from purpose.

This is not a surface-level “motivation” podcast. It is a direct conversation about becoming dependable when pressure hits, leading your family well, serving your community, and refusing to check out of life when things get hard.

The episode also explores:

- The Guidon Foundation’s mission to combat veteran and first responder suicide by connecting men with their purpose and their tribe.
 -Why many men feel lost after leaving military service 
 -The importance of brotherhood and accountability 
 -Building dangerous men with strong moral foundations 
 -Leadership outside the military 
 -Faith, service, and responsibility in modern America 
 -Helping young men develop purpose before crisis hits 
**If you are a young man searching for direction… a father trying to lead your family well… or a veteran struggling to find meaning after service… this conversation was made for you.

#OldRangerNewDad #Veterans #Leadership #Masculinity #Faith #Fatherhood #MarineCorps #ArmyRanger #MensMentalHealth #SelfDiscipline #Brotherhood #Purpose #MilitaryTransition #ChristianMen #TheGuidonFoundation

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  ** Watch Full Video on YT in 4K **

MEN ARE DYING IN SILENCE, IN THIS EPISODE NICK SHARES THE STIGMA(S) KILLING THEM! 


In this episode of Old Ranger New Dad, Seth Ryan sits down with Nick O’Kelly—former Special Forces, Army aviator, and 160th SOAR (“Night Stalkers”)—for a conversation every man needs to hear.

Nick breaks down a brutal truth most people avoid:
The danger isn’t only what men are carrying internally… it’s how other men respond when someone finally admits they’re struggling. The jokes. The mockery. The “man up” culture. The silent stigma that convinces strong men to stay quiet until it’s too late.

Nick shares his personal battle with anxiety, panic, depression, intrusive thoughts, and the “high performer mask”—how you can be excelling on the outside while internally falling apart. He also honors the brotherhood he came up with, including Bryan Gray, a man who embodied strength and grit… and still lost his life.

This episode is raw, honest, and practical—especially for:

Veterans, law enforcement, and first responders
High-performing men who don’t feel “allowed” to struggle
Wives/families trying to support a man who’s shutting down
Anyone who wants to be the kind of friend who actually helps
In this episode, we cover:
How stigma starts early (even in training) and follows men for life
Why “performance” becomes camouflage for pain
The real difference between toughness and silence
What to say (and what not to say) when a man opens up
Marriage under pressure—and what helped Nick and his wife endure
Tools that helped: honesty, therapy, accountability, and rebuilding purpose
How to check on your people without making it weird

IF YOU ARE A MAN WHO FEELS TRAPPED BEHIND YOUR OWN IMAGE? This Episode is for you!
And if a man in your life says he's “fine”… but you’re pretty sure he really isn't fine — watch this episode carefully!

        - Time Stamps - 
0:00 Intro / Meet Nick O’Kelly
3:50 Nick’s background: Special Forces → Army Aviation → Special Operations 160th SOAR "Night Stalkers"
8:20 “High performance” as a mask for mental health
11:40 Why Nick got out + the hidden cost of pushing nonstop
14:00 The culture of stigma: men mocking weakness
16:10 Bryan Gray—brotherhood, loss, and why the book exists
21:00 Why asking for help feels terrifying
27:20 The ripple effect: what happens after suicide
33:00 Insomnia, chronic stress, panic, and the mental trap
45:50 Timeline: when it started and how long it lasted
53:20 Marriage under pressure + what actually helped
59:20 Tools that helped: therapy, meds, awareness, and rebuilding
1:13:15 “I was a good man in a storm…” — breaking it down
1:25:00 Where stigma starts (the “shoelaces” lesson)
1:44:00 Final message: pick up the phone

 #OldRangerNewDad #NickOKelly #MensMentalHealth #VeteranPodcast #SpecialForces #160thSOAR #NightStalkers #SuicidePrevention #Brotherhood #PTSD #Leadership #Marriage #Fatherhood 

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This week I recorded a fantastic podcast with 'Doc' Shauna Springer, Ph.D.
**(She doesn't go by 'Doc' because she has a Ph.D.)** 

She earned that title over the years of earning respect from veterans leading the charge in Veteran Mental Health! Anyone who served in SOF or combat-arms the team-medic, referred to as 'Doc', is always one of the most beloved members of any team. He's the one that will plug your holes and keep you breathing, will continue doing so as long as they have breath in their body.

She's a:
 -Licensed psychologist,
 -Bestselling author, and
 -One of the MOST TRUSTED Voices working to demystify psychological trauma, Difficulty During military transition, moral injury, veteran/law enforcement suicide prevention, and the relationships that hold warriors together when life's storms are raging.

'Doc Springer' also currently serves as Chief Psychologist at Stella Mental Health, and she’s known in the veteran and first responder world because She Doesn’t Talk AT People — she’s spent years EARNING TRUST in The Rooms where outsiders Never Get Invited!

You may know her from her groundbreaking book WARRIOR: How to Support Those Who Protect Us, where she pulls the curtain back on what many civilians don’t understand — Trust, Stigma, Connection, and what it actually looks like when an Unbreakable-Juggernaut starts imploding on the inside.
 she then took it even further with RELENTLESS COURAGE: Winning the Battle Against Frontline Trauma, co-authored with Michael Sugrue — a book aimed straight at the realities first responders (especially Law Enforcement Officers) carry, and how that weight affects the mind, the home, and the mission.

But TODAY WE'RE HERE for her Newest book: "FALL OUT: Ten Common Beliefs that Kill Our Bravest and the Truths that Can Save Them" — and yes, it’s available on Amazon right now.

This isn’t a “feel-good wellness talk.” FALL OUT takes aim at the false beliefs and check-the-box approaches that sound good on paper, but Do Not Work within our warrior cultures — in many cases it's making things worse. In a growing number of tragic cases, it is a Factor in costing the lives of some of the best and bravest men and women walking on the face of the earth.

'Doc' Springer's new book: "Fall Out"
(Two words, multiple-meanings, All of them Powerful & Insightful)

*****Link below*****

file:///D:/Old%20Ranger%20New%20Dad%20Podcast/ORND%20Episodes%2016x9%20(YT%20&%20Spotify)/Ep%20Shauna%20'DOC'%20Springer/Fall%20Out%20link.htm 

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ON AMAZON!
and SHARE if find 'Fall Out' to be insightful!

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What happens when an 11-year-old watches 9/11 unfold…and feels powerless to help?
For Jay Ly, that moment became fuel. Jay grew up in a rough neighborhood in Syracuse, NY—raised by a tough single mom who Made Sure FAITH stayed at the center even when life was chaotic. 

Years later, that same Faith + Grit carried him (Not into the Navy SEALs as he planned) into the Navy EOD community (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)—Where he deployed into combat with army Rangers and other elite operators in Special Forces destroying evil men. He did get to work with the SEALs & "Team 6" (aka DevGru) where he worked a totally different mission set keeping peace and build relationships with our 'allies' in Afghanistan. 

After leaving military life, he now focuses on his New Mission: 
Helping high performers build Legacy, Purpose, and Financial Freedom grounded in faith and character!

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Old Ranger New Dad — Episode: Robert Wall on Lizzie, Loss, and Learning to Breathe Again

In this deeply personal episode of Old Ranger New Dad, Seth Ryan sits down with fellow veteran and entrepreneur Robert Wall for a conversation that isn’t “content”—it’s real life.

Robert shares the story of his daughter Elizabeth “Lizzie” Wall, who lived 2 1/2 years with a rare genetic disorder (rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata) and how that journey reshaped everything: his faith, his marriage, his identity as a father, and his understanding of what grief really is. 

This episode also opens in a raw place—Seth records shortly after losing his son and walking through a medical emergency that nearly took his wife. Together, Seth and Robert talk about the kind of grief that doesn’t fit neatly into “stages,” the pressure men feel to stay tough, and why silence can sometimes speak louder than the right words. 

You’ll hear hard-earned truths about:

• Why grief has no timeline (and why that’s not failure) 
  
  
• The weight of losing a child—and the purpose that can grow from the pain 
  
  
• Faith in the storm: surrender, resilience, and staying anchored as a couple 
  
  
• PTSD beyond the battlefield—and how trauma can show up years later 
  
  
• Hope without clichés: what it looks like to keep moving forward with a broken heart 
  
  

If you’ve experienced miscarriage, child loss, infertility, the loss of a loved one—or you’re the friend who wants to help but doesn’t know what to say—this episode will meet you where you are.

Listen now, and share this with someone who needs permission to grieve—and the courage to keep going. 

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What if the memory stays… but the panic response doesn’t?

In this episode of Old Ranger New Dad, I sit down with Dan Jarvis, who breaks down a powerful approach to trauma healing that’s helping veterans and first responders reclaim their lives. We talk about a 9/11 first responder who lived with Severe PTSD for 19 years—until meeting Dan and learning how the brain can process and “re-file” traumatic memories so they no longer trigger a fight-or-flight reaction.

This isn’t hype. It isn’t mystical. It’s a practical conversation about how the brain (much of which science still can't quite explain) stores trauma, 

why the body keeps sounding the alarm, 

and what it can look like to move from constant triggers to real peace. 

In this episode:

• Why trauma can feel “present” even decades later
• How memory reprocessing works (in plain English)
• What “invisible wounds” can look like in real life
• Why hope is not naïve — it’s necessary
• Who this approach may help (and what realistic expectations look like)

If you’re carrying unseen burdens—or love someone who is—this one is worth your time.

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. If you’re in crisis or considering self-harm, call/text 988 in the U.S. or contact local emergency services.

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Burnout doesn’t announce itself loudly—it whispers… until it screams.

In this raw, no-fluff conversation, I sit down with AK Dozanti, a former police officer who went from Officer of the Year to complete burnout, depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation—and then fought her way back.

AK is now a career and mental burnout specialist and the author of Beat the Burnout, a practical guide designed specifically for law enforcement and first responders who feel trapped, exhausted, cynical, and disconnected from the life they once cared about.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why burnout is not a personal failure—and why departments often miss the warning signs
• The three pillars of burnout: exhaustion, cynicism, and loss of purpose
• How dark humor, overworking, and “just pushing through” quietly destroy marriages, health, and identity
• Why alcohol, sleep deprivation, dehydration, and nonstop side jobs accelerate burnout
• The dangerous myth of compartmentalization
• What leaders should be doing—and what officers can do right now to protect themselves
• Why leaving law enforcement is sometimes the bravest, healthiest decision a person can make

This episode is for:

• Law enforcement officers and first responders
• Veterans transitioning into or out of policing
• Spouses and families who feel the distance but don’t know why
• Leaders who actually want to keep their people alive

Burnout is common. Suicide doesn’t have to be.
 You are not weak. You are not alone. And there is another way forward.

Her Book "Beat The Burnout":    https://www.amazon.com/Beat-Burnout-Prevention-Solutions-Frontline/dp/B0DW6PPGML

&  Her Newest Book...

"Responder Reset: 99 Real-Time Tactics for Frontline Regulation":

https://www.amazon.com/Responder-Reset-Real-Time-Frontline-Regulation/dp/1965971237?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1

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    What is the real cost of killing from thousands of miles away?
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Tanner (a former U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper Sensor-Operator & Instructor) opens up about the hidden psychological toll of waging war through a screen — a burden ALMOST No-One outside the community understands.

For years, Reaper pilots/S0's have carried out lethal missions, tracked terrorists for days/week/months/years (watched them commit atrocities but Not be permitted to intervene) directed strikes, and watched the aftermath in high-definition detail. But the emotional, spiritual, and moral impact?
That part has been silenced.

***** His Website: https://www.remotewarriorllc.com/ *****

In this conversation we expose:

The complex PTSD plaguing America’s drone-pilot community

Sleepless nights, moral injury, and unending replay of mission footage

The crushing exhaustion from 12–16 hour shifts of life-and-death decisions

The suicides among active-duty members that never make the news

Why stories like his are being scrubbed from Google and social platforms

And what really happens to a human soul when killing becomes routine

This is not a political episode.
This is a human episode — an honest look at the invisible wounds carried by those who fight America’s wars from afar.

If you’re a young man, a veteran, or someone seeking the truth behind modern warfare, you need to hear this.
This is the cost nobody talks about.

🙏 If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out. You’re not alone.
Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then Press 1

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Johnny Walker shares profound experiences as a veteran, particularly focusing on his time as a 1st responder who watched 9/11 happen in-person. 

He overcame 19yrs of severe PTSD. The man who 'Healed' him (Johnny's words, not mine) will be on another podcast in December! 

Johnny is in extremely high levels of technology and shares the reality of how big tech controls the money and the politicians. The conversation shifts to the alarming statistics surrounding missing children in the U.S. and the role of AI in child exploitation. 

Johnny emphasizes the interconnectedness of data breaches and online child safety, calling for greater awareness and ethical considerations in technology development. In this conversation, Johnny Walker and I delve into the complex issues surrounding human trafficking specifically of children, the role of technology in raising awareness, and the pervasive corruption within agencies and the military-industrial complex. We discuss the value of life in military operations, the mental health crisis among veterans, and the illusion of control that society faces. The conversation emphasizes the importance of nonprofits in combating these issues and concludes with reflections on the interconnectedness of societal problems and the need for awareness and action. 

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**WATCH The Video Version (with Subtitles ON) for the full experience on Spotify, Y_Tube & Rumble**

Seth Ryan (OldRangerNewDad podcast) and Mike Burke ( his podcast is:  @LegendsOfThe75th ) delve into their experiences surrounding the Jessica Lynch mission during the Iraq War. They share personal perspectives about the invasion, communication challenges, and the ROE's (rules of engagement) that shaped the combat. The discussion also covers their training for the invasion, the intel briefings they received, and the preparations leading up to the mission to rescue Jessica Lynch. 

Throughout the conversation, themes of camaraderie, chaos, and the realities of military life are explored, providing listeners with a deeper understanding of the complexities faced by Special Operation Rangers of the 75th RGR RGT in combat. In this conversation, Seth and Mike recount their experiences during the Jessica Lynch mission, detailing the challenges faced during their arrival, the landing, and the subsequent recovery efforts. They share vivid memories of navigating through a war-torn city, the emotional weight of this mission, and how it shaped the modern day Ranger Regiment. 

The discussion highlights the sacrifices made, the unexpected realities of combat, and the importance of bringing fallen soldiers home. Their reflections provide insight into the complexities of military operations and the personal impact of their experiences.

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