Brad R. Torgersen is an American science fiction author whose short stories regularly appear in various anthologies and magazines, including Analog Science Fiction and Fact and Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show.

Torgersen's stories have won the Analog AnLab readers' choice award three different times, and he was a triple finalist in 2012 for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, the Hugo Award for best novelette, and the Nebula Award for best novelette. In addition to short fiction, Torgersen has two published novels, including the 2019 Dragon Award winner, A Star-Wheeled Sky. The Who's Who page for Analog magazine lists him as one of the "leading writers in the genre".

Book we discussed.
Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative
The Civil War: A Narrative - 3 Volume Box Set: Foote, Shelby: 9780394749136: Amazon.com: Books

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By Edward Sri

Interested in becoming a Warrant Officer?
U.S. Army Warrant Officer Recruiting

If you or someone you know needs help, call the Veterans Crisis Hotline: 800-273-8255

The veterans crisis hotline is a tool for both current and former military members who need immediate mental health help. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the veterans crisis hotline at 800-273-8255, option 1.  https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/military-crisis-line

Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or TTY: 1-800-799-4889. This hotline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. Your call is free and confidential. 

Mental health help is also available by text message at 838255. All suicide prevention help is available 24/7.

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Interviewed Warrant Officer Aviators Jim Drake, John Hawkins, Phil Kincaid, Marcus Lewis, Dave Prewitt, and Sam Ratterree about their experiences forming C Company (MEDEVAC), 3rd Batt 82nd Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division during their 2007-2008 deployment to Afghanistan.  

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Talked in June with Alabama Senate candidate Mike Durant about his experience on the campaign trail, his success as an entrepreneur and author.

Michael J. Durant, CW4 (Retired), USA born July 23, 1961 in Berlin, NH. He
entered the United States Army in August 1979. Following training at the Defense Language Institute, he was assigned to the 470th Military Intelligence Group, Fort Clayton, Panama as a Spanish voice intercept operator. He was accepted and attended the Warrant Officer Basic Course followed by Primary Flight Training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon appointment to WO1 in November 1983, he completed the UH60 Blackhawk Qualification Course and was assigned to the 377th Medical Evacuation Company, Seoul Korea. His next assignment was with the 101st Aviation Bn, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he performed duties as an instructor pilot.

Michael joined the 160th Special Operations Group on August 1, 1988. Assigned to
D company, he performed duties as Flight Lead and Standardization Instructor Pilot. He participated in combat operations Prime Chance, Just Cause (Panama invasion December 1989), Desert Storm (Liberation of Kuwait in January-March 1991) and Restore Hope (Somalia in August-October 1993).
On October 3, 1993, while piloting an MH60 Blackhawk in Mogadishu, Somalia, he
was shot down and held captive by hostile forces. He was released eleven days later.
He is now the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Solutions,
Incorporated; an engineering and services company based in Huntsville, Alabama. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics (95) and a Master of Business Administration in Aviation (97) degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
He is a master aviator, qualified in the UH-1 Huey, MH-6 Loach, and MH-60A, L,
and K models of the Blackhawk. He has a total of 3,700 flight hours with over 1,400 under Night Vision Goggles.
A 2008 Army Aviation Association of America Hall of Fame Inductee and the
National Veteran-Owned Business Association 2013 Vetrepreneur of the year, his military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star with Valor device, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals, one with Valor device, the POW/MIA ribbon, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and numerous other awards.
He is the author of the NY Times Best Seller In the Company of Heroes and the The Night Stalkers.
He and his wife Lisa have six children, four boys and two girls ranging in age from fourteen to thirty.
Pinnacle’s awards and achievements include: WBCNA 2010 Start-Up of the Year,
Huntsville Chamber of Commerce 2011 Small Business Award Finalist and 2012 Best Place to Work Winner, MT2’s Top Simulation and Training Companies (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), 2012/13 Alabama DAV Small Business of the Year, 2012 Inc. 500 (#6 for Government Services), 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing companies.

In twelve years Pinnacle has grown from a home office-based startup in 2008 to over
510 employees and more than 175 subcontractor personnel operating in fourteen US and international locations with major prime and subcontract efforts supporting the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, NASA and the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Books we discussed:

Breach of Trust by Tom A. Coburn MD, John Hart - Audiobook - Audible.com
In the Com

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Derrick Edwards is a DoD Chief Technologist for Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) US
Public Sector. Mr. Edwards serves as a technical expert and provides guidance and
direction to all customers across the Department of Defense. In his previous role at
HPE, he focused on edge compute solutions across the Public Sector.
Mr. Edwards joined HPE in Dec, 2019. Prior to joining HPE, he served as a Technical
Director and Program Manager at General Dynamics Information Technology, primarily
focused on leading personnel and delivering technology to Army and Defense
programs around the world.
Prior to his service at GDIT, Mr. Edwards was the Army Chief Technology Officer,
responsible for being the primary interface to IT and cybersecurity industry partners
and identifying key technologies for future utilization to improve the Army enterprise.
Currently, the Army utilizes four capabilities that were developed from key
technologies that he identified. Mr. Edwards was a career active duty Army officer with
over 25 years of unique military experience of 360-degree leadership and applying the
latest technology solutions for Federal decision makers to access the right information
at the point of need.
Mr. Edwards attended Grantham University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in
Multidisciplinary Studies, and then an MBA while serving on active duty in the Army.
He has also received graduate certificates in data science and cybersecurity.
Mr. Edwards currently resides with his wife Pamela in Tampa, FL and they have two adult
children.

Websites of interest:
220527_SignificantCyberIncidents.pdf (csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com)

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Stacy is a former warrant officer and graduate of the warrant officer flight training program, flying both the UH-1 and UH-60 helicopters.

She was a Russian linguist before becoming a warrant officer.

She is currently a Corporate Helicopter Captain for Executive Jet Management flying the Agusta-Westland-139

She holds several corporate board positions.

Chair of the Vertical IFR Committee for the Eastern Region Helicopter Council for Vertical Aircraft Low-Level Routing Infrastructure, she sits as ROTOR Magazine’s Board Director starting in 2016 and as Chairman of the Board between 2020-2021. She was the immediate past Board Chair of HAI – representing through Covid.

She volunteers as the coordinator and presenter for Helicopter Association International’s Military to Civilian Transition workshops as well as the panel chair for the Pilot Mentoring panel.

She holds both Bachelors and Masters of Science Degrees in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with her Master’s accompanied by a specialization in Aviation Education Technology

She was a Sikorsky S-76 and S-92 production test pilot, 

She is a certified flight instructor and Instrument flight instructor, and Airline Transport Pilot. 

She is rated in numerous aircraft types and models. Has flown Charter, Tours, News, Air Ambulance, Corporate Aviation, and for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) as a movie pilot.

She is a prolific public speaker and published author. Having been published in several professional aviation magazines.

http://imdb.com/name/nm2456604/

Transitioning Resources
HAI Mil2Civ link: https://rotor.org/military-to-civilian/

Articles of Mil2Civ Transition Interest --

Aviation Resumes: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hey-military-helicopter-pilots-heres-truth-pilot-resumes-sheard/

Logging Flight Time: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/logging-flight-time-military-vs-civilian-stacy-sheard/

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Andy Miller was born and raised in South Carolina. After graduating from Lander University in 1991, he began helicopter lessons in the private sector prior to joining the Army. He applied for and was selected to the Warrant Officer Flight Training program. Basic Training was completed at Fort Jackson in 1995, and he then went on to Warrant Officer Candidate School and Army flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Andy was trained as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilot. He later became an instructor pilot in the Kiowa Warrior.

Andy deployed with his air cavalry squadron to Iraq for a 12-month combat operations tour in 2008, and in 2012 he deployed to Afghanistan as part of an advisor and training team to train the Afghan Air Force.

His military awards and decorations include the Army Combat Action Badge, Army Master Aviator Wings, the Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Air Medal.

Pamir62 | Heroes are Forever
(20+) Pamir 62: Heroes are Forever | Facebook
linkedin.com/in/andy-miller-pilot
https://twitter.com/Pamir_62/

If you or someone you know needs help, call the Veterans Crisis Hotline: 800-273-8255

The veterans crisis hotline is a tool for both current and former military members who need immediate mental health help. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the veterans crisis hotline at 800-273-8255, option 1.  https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/military-crisis-line

Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or TTY: 1-800-799-4889. This hotline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. Your call is free and confidential. 

Mental health help is also available by text message at 838255. All suicide prevention help is available 24/7.

Support the show

Chief Warrant Officer-5 (retired) Mark Meyer
Former US Army Special Operations Command, Command Chief Warrant Officer;

One of my first IP’s out of flight school

Helicopter and fixed wing and hot air balloon pilot, pilot in command and instructor pilot, instrument flight examiner, standardization instructor pilot, having amassed over 7,000 hours, with over 2,500 combat hours. 

A fellow Paratrooper – over 20 years earning the Master Army Parachutist with over 100 static-line jumps and Military Freefall parachutist with over 500 freefall jumps

Holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Professional Aeronautics with a double minor in Business and Safety 

Graduated Magna Cum Laude (1999)

Previous senior positions–  

Chief of Warrant Officer recruiting for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command

Commander – HHT U.S. Army Operational Support Element

Troop Executive Officer, U.S. Army Operational Support Element

Various CCWO positions 

U.S. Army Operational Support Element

4th U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command

2nd U.S. Army Special Operations Command

Owner/ operator of Balloons over America – hot air balloon tours
balloonsoveramerica.com or .org or .net

Interested in becoming a Warrant Officer?
U.S. Army Warrant Officer Recruiting

Books Mark is reading/ recommending:
Younger Next Year - Turn back your biological clock - Chris Crowley
Olivia's Hope-Kevin N. Karella
Amazon - Olivia's Hope: Alive: Yet Suspended in Time (Lincoln James Legacy): Karella, Kevin: 9781640853706: Books

If you or someone you know needs help, call the Veterans Crisis Hotline: 800-273-8255

The veterans crisis hotline is a tool for both current and former military members who need immediate mental health help. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the veterans crisis hotline at 800-273-8255, option 1.  https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/military-crisis-line

Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or TTY: 1-800-799-4889. This hotline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. Your call is free and confidential. 

Mental health help is also available by text message at 838255. All suicide prevention help is available 24/7.

Support the show

Dr Leonard Momeny

Dr Momeny and I discussed his journey as a soldier and how he became a warrant officer and how he has been able to use his experience to influence the Army. We discussed the particulars of what a warrant officer is, how to become a warrant officer, and what they do for the nation. 

-2022 WO Historical Foundation Fellow

-Numerous degrees, including Doctorate and Master’s in Education from Liberty University, a master’s of science in Space Studies from American Military University

- Published author with over 30 articles published in Space News, Christian Education Journal, and Aviation Digest 

- The Army Directorate of Training and Doctrine’s lead author for the Army Aviation SOP and Aviation Handbook 

- He is a graduation of the Ft. Benning School of Infantry as an Infantryman 
-  Former member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
- Graduate of the Army Ranger School, the Army’s premier leadership school. 
- Army aviator and UH-60 Blackhawk Instructor Pilot
- Host of the Cohort W podcast;

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Conversations with past and present U.S. Army Warrant Officers highlighting their views on leadership, thoughts about life, current events, and how they have helped shape them. 

 

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