Tales from the Corps

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Marine Corps veteran Kris Peoples joins Tales From The Corps to reconnect, trade stories from their years in the Marines, and talk about the unexpected path from military service into finance and business.

Kris shares stories from his Marine Corps years, including rifle range experiences, close calls, weapons mishaps, and the kind of stories Marines can still laugh about years after everyone has gone their separate ways. The conversation also takes a detour into experiences surrounding the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and some of the unexpected situations that came with it.

The discussion then turns toward transitioning from the military into the financial industry, including lessons learned about business, changing markets, and building a career after leaving the structure of the Marine Corps.

Kris also discusses his experience building a successful AMC venture, while the conversation explores customer relationships, service, competition, and the lessons from military life that can carry into entrepreneurship and finance.

Through the war stories, business conversations, and inevitable Marine Corps humor, this episode is ultimately about reconnecting with someone you served alongside and discovering where life took both of you after the Corps.

Featuring:
🪖 Kris Peoples — Marine Corps Veteran & Finance Professional

TALES FROM THE CORPS
Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy.

🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps
📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps
🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com
💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks
📧 Business Inquiries: [email protected]

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Marine Sergeant and former Drill Instructor Michael Sylvester joins Tales From The Corps to talk about training Marines, serving in the post-9/11 Marine Corps, and the responsibility of transforming recruits into Marines.

A fellow 3/6 Marine, Michael shares his path through the Corps and the experiences that eventually took him to drill instructor duty. He takes us inside Marine Corps recruit training, explaining the intensity, discipline, and expectations placed on both recruits and the Drill Instructors responsible for training them.

Michael discusses life on the drill field, the relationship between Drill Instructors and recruits, and the balance between demanding performance and developing Marines capable of succeeding once they leave recruit training and enter the Fleet Marine Force.

The conversation also explores how the Marine Corps changed during the years following September 11, 2001, when Marines were being trained for a country actively fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Michael reflects on the responsibility of preparing young Marines during that era and how his own experiences shaped the way he approached leadership and training.

We also talk about the transition from Drill Instructor duty back to the fleet, Marine Corps leadership, pride in earning the title Marine, and the stories and humor Michael accumulated along the way.

Featuring:
🪖 Sgt. Michael Sylvester — Marine Corps Veteran, Former Drill Instructor & 3/6 Marine

TALES FROM THE CORPS
Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy.

🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps
📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps
🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com
💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks
📧 Business Inquiries: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Marine Corps veterans Justin Harris and Pete Schuster join Tales From The Corps to reconnect, trade stories from their years serving together, and reflect on the friendships that remain long after Marines leave active duty.

Justin and Pete look back on their 2003–2004 deployment to Afghanistan, along with time spent in Italy and Egypt, sharing memories of the people, places, and experiences that shaped their years in the Marine Corps.

The conversation moves between the serious and ridiculous sides of military service—from difficult conditions and long stretches without basic comforts to pranks, deployment stories, and the humor Marines rely on when circumstances suck.

Justin and Pete also discuss returning home, transitioning into civilian life, and what it's like reconnecting with Marines you haven't seen in years only to discover that the relationship picks up almost exactly where it left off.

Recorded around the 248th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps, the conversation also reflects on the generations of Marines who came before them, the traditions passed down through the Corps, and why those connections continue to matter long after service.

Featuring:
🪖 Justin Harris — Marine Corps Veteran
🪖 Pete Schuster — Marine Corps Veteran

TALES FROM THE CORPS
Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy.

🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps
📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps
🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com
💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks
📧 Business Inquiries: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Tales From The Corps marks the 248th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps and Veterans Day with a conversation about Marine Corps traditions, veteran brotherhood, and the challenges that can follow military service.

The conversation explores the different experiences veterans face after leaving the military, including the support systems available to them and the role of Veterans Treatment Courts in helping eligible veterans whose military service and related challenges intersect with the criminal justice system.

We also talk about the differences between military branches, Marine Corps culture, and the traditions that connect generations of Marines long after their time in uniform ends.

The episode moves between serious subjects and the stories that make up everyday Marine Corps life—from boot camp memories and finding new purpose after service to one Marine discovering a passion for hockey.

We also reflect on Afghanistan and the complicated emotions surrounding the end of America's war there, including memories of serving in the country and the people left behind after the U.S. withdrawal.

Recorded around Veterans Day and the Marine Corps' 248th Birthday, this episode is a conversation about service, tradition, humor, remembrance, and what comes after the uniform.

TALES FROM THE CORPS
Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy.

🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps
📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps
🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com
💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks
📧 Business Inquiries: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Tales From The Corps looks back on the people, experiences, and friendships that shaped our years in the Marine Corps—from the chaos of boot camp to the relationships built while serving and deploying together.

We trade stories about Marine Corps boot camp, the Drill Instructors and unforgettable characters we encountered along the way, and the experiences that seemed miserable in the moment but somehow became stories worth telling years later.

The conversation also turns to deployments and the friendships formed through military service. We talk about what it's like sharing some of the most intense periods of your life with the same group of Marines and why those relationships can feel completely different from friendships formed outside the military.

We also discuss what happens after everyone comes home and eventually leaves the Corps—staying connected, reconnecting after years apart, and maintaining friendships when military life is no longer keeping everyone in the same place.

Between the serious memories are plenty of ridiculous Marine Corps stories, because some of the strongest friendships from military service were built while everyone was simply trying to make it through the same suck together.

TALES FROM THE CORPS
Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy.

🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps
📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps
🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com
💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks
📧 Business Inquiries: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Marine Corps veteran Justin Harris joins Tales From The Corps to share his experiences with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines and what it was like watching the Marine Corps change almost overnight after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Justin looks back on joining and serving in a peacetime Marine Corps before 9/11 transformed the mission and sent a generation of Marines toward war. He remembers the atmosphere in the barracks that morning, the uncertainty about what would happen next, and how quickly training and expectations began to take on a different meaning.

The conversation follows Justin through Afghanistan, including deployment stories, training operations, and the experiences that defined his time overseas. He also discusses VBSS missions—Visit, Board, Search and Seizure—and training alongside Egyptian forces, offering a look at some of the less commonly discussed missions Marines encountered during that era.

Along the way, Justin shares the stories and personalities that made his time in the Corps unforgettable, from rifle-field containers and training mishaps to a fellow Marine known as “Ski.”

The conversation also moves into life after service, Justin's transition from Mississippi to Nebraska, and a discussion about veteran mental health and the experiences Marines continue carrying years after coming home.

Featuring:
🪖 Justin Harris — Marine Corps Veteran, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines

TALES FROM THE CORPS
Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy.

🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps
📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps
🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com
💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks
📧 Business Inquiries: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Marine Corps veteran Scott Garavito joins Tales From The Corps to trade stories about deployments, field life, Iraq, and the ridiculous situations that become some of the most memorable parts of military service.

Vito joins the conversation for stories ranging from Hunter's wedding and life in the field to carrying heavy packs, surviving without showers, and figuring out how to stay relatively clean when bathing facilities aren't exactly part of the accommodations.

The conversation gets into the language and culture of military life, including MREs, BAH, CAX, and the kind of terminology that becomes completely normal while serving and completely incomprehensible to everyone else.

Vito also shares stories from Iraq, including an encounter with locals hauling crates of Pepsi, while the conversation turns to experiences in Gannon, operating around tanks, and some of the unexpected situations that unfolded during deployments and training.

As usual, plenty of the conversation has nothing to do with combat—from questionable bathroom solutions and wedding stories to Frank's memorable interactions with babies and an experience at American Airlines in Houston.

It's a collection of the strange, funny, uncomfortable, and occasionally serious moments that rarely make it into official Marine Corps history—but somehow become the stories Marines are still telling each other years later.

Featuring:
🪖 Scott Garavito — Marine Corps Combat Veteran

TALES FROM THE CORPS
Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy.

🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps
📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps
🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com
💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks
📧 Business Inquiries: [email protected]

Picture this: You're in the middle of the desert, chowing down on skittles mixed with jambalaya, all from a military-grade pouch. Yet, that's just another day in the life of a Marine. Join us and our producer, Janine Stella in this episode, as she uncovers our journey so far, tackles military slang, and unearths some of our unforgettable experiences. From hilarious advice received to the most unusual MREs we've ever had in the field; we're spilling the beans and laughing about it all.

Ever wondered about the camaraderie and unique culture within the Marine Corps? Let us take you there, from the absurd rumors we heard while on deployment to the shared experiences that shaped us. We'll also dispel some misconceptions about Marines, and answer a question we wish civilians would ask us more often. We've got tales of military demolitions, funny souvenirs, and even cultural mishaps that will have you chuckling in no time.

Finally, we'll discuss how this podcasting journey has influenced our personal choices and vice versa. Along the way, we'll pay homage to our producer, Janine, for her diligent work behind the scenes. It's not just about being Marines; it's about the hysterical, heartwarming, and downright bizarre stories that come with it. So, buckle up for this whirlwind ride through our time in the Marines, filled with camaraderie, laughter, and a few explosions along the way.

Contact Michael Francis:
TikTok: @michaelfrancissbx
IG:  @socialbusinessexperience
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialBusinessExperience?mibextid=ZbWKwL


Contact Adam Gray:
Email: [email protected]
TikTok: @adam41marine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009814414736

Contact Janine Stella:
Email: [email protected]
IG: @stellamix_studios
Website: stellamix.com

Ever feel like you've lived nine lives? Between the raw tales from our Marine Corps days, that time we contemplated using it as a career, and the downright hilarious stories from our past. We talk about the importance of going to therapy and seeking help as a veteran and the positive impact that makes on mental health. 

What's the secret sauce in creating profound connections in relationships? As we journey through our own experiences and the bonds we've forged over the years, we uncover the beautiful complexities that make up our interactions with loved ones and family. We delve deep into the power of love, the struggle to duplicate it, and how our experiences in the military have shaped our perspective. Dotted with light-hearted stories, a touch of foot fetish discoveries, and how Sergeant Rubble lent us an ear, this part of the conversation will, without a doubt, give you food for thought.

Feeling uncomfortable about your next prostate exam? We've been there, too. Sharing our experiences, we highlight the importance of finding a medical professional you're at ease with, as well as the need to protect yourself against STDs. From the threads of our tales woven together, we not only entertain but also pass on fundamental life wisdom. Whether you're looking for camaraderie, a good chuckle, or an intimate look at the human condition, this episode has got it all. Tune in and let's hit the road together!

Contact Michael Francis:
TikTok: @michaelfrancissbx
IG:  @socialbusinessexperience
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialBusinessExperience?mibextid=ZbWKwL


Contact Adam Gray:
Email: [email protected]
TikTok: @adam41marine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009814414736

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Marine Corps veteran Scott Vito Garavito joins Tales From The Corps to trade stories from his time with 3/6 and talk openly about the experiences veterans can carry long after leaving the military.

Vito looks back on the chaos of Marine Corps life, including the personalities, parties, questionable decisions, and moments when leadership attempted—with varying degrees of success—to keep a group of young Marines under control.

The conversation moves through 3/6 stories, Marine Corps camaraderie, music, NCIS, and the experiences that built relationships between Marines who learned to depend on each other when things went wrong. Vito reflects on the people who stepped in when he needed them and the bonds that remained after everyone left the Corps.

The discussion then turns toward post-service trauma and mental health. Vito shares some of the struggles that followed him home, the process of confronting those experiences, and the realization that asking for help doesn't have to mean facing them alone.

The serious conversation sits alongside the ridiculous Marine Corps stories because both are part of the same experience—the memories that still make you laugh and the ones that can be much harder to carry.

Featuring:
🪖 Scott Garavito — Marine Corps Combat Veteran, 3/6 Marines

TALES FROM THE CORPS
Real stories. Unfiltered conversations. Veterans, families, historians, and the people preserving their legacy.

🎥 YouTube: Tales From The Corps Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @tales.from.the.corps
📸 Instagram: @talesfromthecorps
🪖 Virtual Barracks: VirtualBarracks.com
💬 Discord: Join the Virtual Barracks
📧 Business Inquiries: [email protected]