At 19 years old, Julie Becker returned home from a trip to Mexico and found a voicemail waiting for her.

It was from a Navy recruiter.

What started as a simple phone call led Julie from Phoenix, Arizona, to boot camp in Great Lakes, intelligence training in Pensacola, and eventually aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG-78) as a Cryptologic Technician and plank owner.

In this episode of Semper Try, Julie shares stories from life at sea, intelligence operations, counter-drug missions, the aftermath of the USS Cole attack, and what it was like serving in the Navy during the events surrounding 9/11. She also reflects on the friendships, challenges, and unexpected moments that shaped her military career.

Today, Julie owns Better Days Acupuncture in Brainerd, Minnesota, where she helps people heal from pain, trauma, stress, and the challenges life throws their way.

This conversation is filled with humor, military history, life lessons, and a reminder that sometimes one small decision can change the entire course of your life.

And yes, you'll hear the story of how a handsome Navy recruiter and a voicemail helped launch it all.

In Episode 026 Part 2 of the Semper Try Podcast, Bill Lowe continues walking and talking with Army veteran Ray Reynoso somewhere along the back roads of Minnesota as Ray hikes the entire Mississippi River Trail from source to sea.

This episode is raw and real. The camera mount failed, the audio cuts out at times, traffic flies by, and nothing about it feels polished — but honestly, that’s what makes this one special. It’s two veterans sharing stories while walking down the road.

Ray talks about his deployment to Iraq, injuries suffered during a rocket attack, life after the military, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail, setting world records, and turning outdoor adventure into a career. He also shares why he raises money for organizations like Team Rubicon and Hike for Mental Health.

Along the way, the conversation turns into something bigger — purpose after service, mental toughness, travel, adventure, and learning how to keep moving forward one step at a time.

Follow Ray and his journey at “Geared Up Adventures” on social media and support his fundraiser for Team Rubicon.

This is Semper Try Podcast.

Episode 26 Part 1 of the Semper Try Podcast is unlike anything we’ve done before.

At 7:00 AM on Saturday morning, May 16th, I caught up with Army veteran Ray Reynoso in North Prairie, Minnesota, where he had spent the night tenting behind a church along the Mississippi River Trail Road.

Ray is currently attempting to walk the entire Mississippi River Trail from source to sea — over 2,400 miles — largely unsupported while raising money and awareness for Team Rubicon.

No support vehicle.

For this episode, I joined Ray and walked roughly 7 miles with him between Little Falls and Sartell, Minnesota while recording this podcast on the move.

Along the way we talked about:

Because we were actively walking during the recording, there are a few shaky camera moments, changing audio levels, and some signal issues throughout the episode — but honestly, that’s part of the experience.

This is the real journey.

Part 2 releases next week.

Semper Try — Because Trying Beats Quitting.

#GearedUpAdventures

What started as a podcast interview turned into one of those conversations veterans know well — the kind where one story triggers another, then another, and suddenly you’re talking about fighter jets, aircraft carriers, PTSD, teamwork, terrible military flights, stolen couches in squadron spaces, and the moments that stick with you 20 years later.

Marine Corps aviation maintainer Bill sits down with Navy Chaplain Steve Mills for a conversation that’s funny, honest, raw at times, and packed with stories from military life most people never hear.

From F/A-18 afterburners and C-130 drops… to hospice care, veteran healing, and why simply reaching out to one person matters more than most people realize.

Because sometimes the best conversations happen after the “official interview” is already over.

In this episode of the Semper Try Podcast, Bill sits down with his new friend Steve, host of Even Though I Walk, for a powerful conversation about service, faith, trauma, healing, and the stories veterans carry home.

Steve shares his journey from joining the Air Force at 17, serving as a firefighter, being called into ministry, and later spending 22 years as a Navy chaplain serving alongside sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. From the USS Cole to Iraq and Afghanistan, Steve opens up about the weight of walking with others through grief, combat stress, PTSD, and suicide loss.

Bill also shares part of his own Marine Corps story, including a seven-and-a-half-month boot camp journey, stress fractures, pain, and the choice to keep going when quitting would have been easy.

This episode is about brotherhood, faith, mental health, veteran suicide prevention, and why telling these stories matters.

Because trying beats quitting.

Part 2 of Episode 24 of the Semper Try Podcast is here.

In this episode, I sit back down with Navy submariner David as we go deeper into what life is really like beneath the surface. From serving on the USS Ohio and USS West Virginia to spending over a decade at sea, this conversation pulls back the curtain on a world most people will never experience.

We talk about long patrols lasting 80 to 100+ days, what it’s like to have little to no contact with the outside world, and how most sailors onboard don’t even know where they are at any given time. David shares how he taught himself latitude and longitude just to stay grounded in a place designed to keep you in the dark.

We also get into:

This isn’t the version you see in movies.

Because most stories die unheard…

📩 Questions or guest ideas: [email protected]

Bill sits down with his cousin David Albert, a retired U.S. Navy submariner with 20 years of service beneath the surface.

What started as a quick escape from a small town turned into a career inside one of the most demanding environments in the military. From freezing nights arriving at boot camp in Chicago… to surviving “sweat parties”… to learning how to make oxygen underwater… this episode pulls back the curtain on life inside a submarine.

David breaks down:

This is more than a military story—it’s about pressure, discipline, and doing a job where mistakes aren’t an option.

Semper Try — because trying beats quitting.

On this episode of the Semper Try Podcast, I sit down with my uncle, Robert “Bob” Lowe, for a conversation that spans generations of military service and the stories that come with it.

We start with my grandfather—a World War II Navy sailor who served on LSTs in the European Theater… and survived two ships being sunk. No spotlight. No recognition. Just came home and went back to farming in Minnesota.

Then we dive into Bob’s journey—joining the United States Navy at just 17 years old, leaving high school behind, and stepping into a life that took him from Iceland to Alaska, and across the ocean during the Vietnam era.

As a radio man, Bob worked behind the scenes—sending, receiving, encrypting, and delivering the messages that kept ships moving and missions on track. It’s a side of military life most people never see.

We talk about:

This episode isn’t about medals or headlines.

Because trying beats quitting.

A conversation with Marine veteran Troy Hradsky, who served from 1986 to 1990.

From small-town Brainerd to boot camp in San Diego, Troy shares what it was really like becoming a Marine in the 1980s — when drill instructors were still hands-on and the transformation was as mental as it was physical.

We dive into:

But this episode goes deeper.

Troy opens up about:

And most importantly — why he still tells young people:

“If you’re not laser focused… the military might be the best decision you’ll ever make.”

👉 Because trying beats quitting.

In Episode 21 of the Semper Try Podcast, Bill sits down with Major Janelle Johnson of the Minnesota National Guard.

With nearly 28 years of service, Major Johnson shares her journey from a 17-year-old recruit growing up near Camp Ripley to becoming a senior leader serving overseas in Norway through the State Partnership Program.

This episode dives into:

This is a powerful conversation about service, sacrifice, and what it truly means to lead.