Former operators David Burnell and Jeffrey Denning dive into what happens to your mind and body when chaos erupts—physiologically (cortisol, adrenaline, dopamine) and practically (fight/flight/freeze, tonic immobility, decision-making under fire). Sparked by a recent attack at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints meetinghouse and Jeffrey’s conversation with 22 SAS CQB instructor Christian Craighead (the Nairobi hotel rescue), they unpack how elite training translates to civilian readiness: stress inoculation, when to hold vs push, accuracy on demand, and building a lifestyle of preparation—not paranoia.

Along the way: Nairobi lessons on small-team initiative, why some people get calmer as the danger rises, drills you can do without a “tier one” facility, and a faith-centered framework for managing fear using concentric “rings of control” (control, influence, everything else). It’s a candid, unscripted talk about courage, conscience, and competence—so you can protect what matters without losing your peace.

You’ll learn:

* How cortisol and other chemicals shape performance under stress

* Simple training ideas to build real decision speed (no hero cosplay required)

* When “wait” is the best tactic

* When surprise, speed, and violence of action save lives

* A practical, faith-anchored way to stay prepared without living in fear

Find this and other episodes from the Echo Valor Podcast by searching “Echo Valor Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform. You can also discover original music by searching “Echo Valor Music” on your favorite streaming platform, and explore books and written works by searching “David Burnell” on Amazon to visit his author page.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit echovalor.substack.com

In this powerful episode of Echo Valor, David Burnell sits down with longtime friend and seasoned law enforcement officer, federal agent, military veteran, and mental health professional Jeffrey Denning. Together, they unpack the realities of crisis response, the cumulative toll of trauma, and the tools needed to stay grounded amidv overwhelming events.

From frontline experiences in Iraq to critical incident stress debriefings after officer-involved shootings, Jeffrey shares practical strategies for pre-incident preparation, managing acute stress, and long-term self-care. The discussion covers primary, secondary, and tertiary trauma, how first responders and families are impacted by tragedy, and why sleep, exercise, connection, and gratitude are essential for healing.

Whether you are in law enforcement, EMS, the military, or simply navigating today’s chaotic world, this episode offers wisdom, actionable insights, and hope. Learn why “healing hurts, but helping heals”—and how to prevent isolation, find community, and keep your mental armor strong.

Find this and other episodes from the Echo Valor Podcast by searching “Echo Valor Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform. You can also discover original music by searching “Echo Valor Music” on your favorite streaming platform, and explore books and written works by searching “David Burnell” on Amazon to visit his author page.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit echovalor.substack.com

“Wings of the Silent Few” is an adrenaline-charged anthem honoring the United States Air Force Special Warfare community. From the legendary pararescue who risk all to save lives, to Tactical Air Control Party operators who rain steel on the enemy, Combat Controllers who open up the fight, Special Recon teams in the shadows, and SERE instructors who break and rebuild the best — this song dives into their world with respect and raw energy. It celebrates the brutal selection process, the power of tactical comms, and the unmistakable roar of special operations helicopters and AC-130 gunships — a dedication to those who live on the edge for us all.

STREAMING ECHO VALOR MUSIC

* Spotify

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* Echo Valor Military Emblems here https://www.etsy.com/shop/echovalor/?etsrc=sdt

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit echovalor.substack.com

I’m David Burnell. In March 2011, while most were flying out of Japan, I flew in—alone, with two hundred pounds of gear and a quiet prayer: Use me how You need me. This audiobook is my field journal read aloud—plain talk from the mud and the cold—about rescue and recovery after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

You’ll hear what it felt like to embed with the Mexico City team, Los Topos, crawl under broken homes in Onagawa and Ishinomaki, and stand at the tape with families waiting for names, not headlines. You’ll meet a young woman in a white mask bowing through tears, kids in a gym who reset the room with a single “boing,” and two American boys who needed a velvet-hammer nudge to go home and fix what was

theirs. You’ll ride with me past Fukushima as the meter pegs, through aftershocks and tsunami alerts, and into small mercies—a rice ball shared with both hands, a paper crane, a bow that lasts one breath longer than expected.

This is not a hero story. It’s a real account of steady hands, quiet humor, dignity under pressure, and the simple rules that still guide me: go when you’re called, carry your weight, bow first, measure risk then move, and lift where you stand.

What you’ll get

* Short, chapter-length episodes in my voice

* Firsthand scenes from Sendai, Onagawa, Ishinomaki, and the Fukushima corridor

* Lessons on leadership, service, faith, and resilience you can use at home

Includes frank, respectful descriptions of disaster scenes, body recovery, and earthquakes. If you’re a first responder, a volunteer, a person of faith—or someone who believes ordinary people can do hard things—I made this for you.

Share this with someone who needs courage today, and let’s lift where we stand.

Find this and other episodes from the Echo Valor Podcast by searching “Echo Valor Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform. You can also discover original music by searching “Echo Valor Music” on your favorite streaming platform, and explore books and written works by searching “David Burnell” on Amazon to visit his author page.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe

New release, rewritten entirely, 27 December 2025

In the hidden war of Burma, where the jungle swallows armies and landmines outnumber crops, one humanitarian mission became a journey of faith, danger, and unexpected brotherhood.

When former Air Force veteran David Burnell answered a call to enter the denied territories of Burma (Myanmar), he expected heat, hardship, and risk. What he did not expect was how deeply the people would carve themselves into his heart—the Karen tribe, fighting for survival against a half-million-man regime; warriors missing limbs who still stood watch on one leg; a British scout now reduced to begging; a pig named Herman who became a companion; and a small boy with a spinning top who became his shadow.

This book is the accurate account of that mission.

Alongside a Special Forces legend, a 40-year medic and Vietnam veteran, Burnell crossed the border with no sanction from any Government and no promise of rescue. Their task: complete the fourth phase of a covert combat-medic program for the Karen, a Christian people hunted since World War II.

What followed was a week in the jungle that felt like a lifetime.

Dragon boats through drug-running waters

Booming monsoon storms over bamboo hooches used as classrooms

Landmine belts, where every misplaced footstep could end a man’s life

Nights on the hooch railing as John shared memories of Vietnam, including the first man he ever killed

A beggar who once scouted for the British and offered what little he had—a boiled egg

A child named No Do Tu, who said nothing, yet spoke straight to the soul

This is not a war story about fighting.It is a war story about showing up.

About choosing compassion when fear is justified.About being willing to cross borders that other men won’t.About believing that courage can belong to ordinary people.About faith, carrying you where training cannot.

If we genuinely believe in love, what are we willing to do about it?

In the Land of Broken Rivers is a firsthand account of service, sacrifice, and the quiet heroism of a forgotten people. It is a testimony of spiritual prompting, a meditation on what it costs to keep going, and a reminder that sometimes the smallest hands leave the deepest marks on a life.

This story is real.This mission happened.And every step was worth it.

Available on Amazon and Streaming Services

* Amazon Kindle & Paperback: View David Burnell’s Amazon Author Page

* Listen on Spotify

* Listen on Apple Podcast

* Listen on Soundcloud

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit echovalor.substack.com

In January 2010, a catastrophic earthquake shattered Haiti, collapsing its government, hospitals, and fragile infrastructure in seconds. Amid the chaos, doctors, nurses, and humanitarian volunteers entered a country without order, protection, or certainty.

This episode of Echo Valor tells the true story of a security mission carried out alongside the Utah Hospital Task Force—protecting medical teams, evacuating orphans, and operating in an environment where law had collapsed, and danger was constant.

This is not a story of victory.It is a record of service carried into chaos—and of those who stood watch so others could heal.

Echo Valor exists to tell stories forged in courage, duty, and sacrifice.

👉 Follow and subscribe for more true stories of valor👉 Visit echovalor.com to learn more about the Echo Valor mission

Get full access to David Burnell at davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe

In this deeply personal episode, David Burnell reflects on friends, comrades, and family members who carry the visible and invisible scars of service. From Green Berets and rescue officers to law enforcement and search-and-rescue volunteers, these are the walking wounded — men and women forever changed by the battlefield, disaster zones, and the unthinkable moments they’ve faced.

David shares vivid, first-hand accounts of friends like Jeff, a Bronze Star recipient wounded in Afghanistan; John, a comrade blown up by terrorists in Tunisia; his Uncle Bill, a Chosin Reservoir Marine haunted by decisions no one should have to make; and others who have endured catastrophic injuries, PTSD, and lifelong pain.

These are not stories of weakness — they are stories of resilience, duty, and a brotherhood that survives beyond the fight. This episode is a call to honor those who’ve paid the price in body, mind, and spirit, whether or not they wear the Purple Heart. It’s about never letting their sacrifices fade into silence.

If you’ve ever served, loved someone who has, or want to understand the hidden cost of freedom, this conversation will stay with you long after the final words.

Find this and other episodes from the Echo Valor Podcast by searching “Echo Valor Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform. You can also discover original music by searching “Echo Valor Music” on your favorite streaming platform, and explore books and written works by searching “David Burnell” on Amazon to visit his author page.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit echovalor.substack.com

In the shattered streets and remote villages of post-earthquake Haiti, a unique task force set out to save lives. As Chief of Security for the Utah Hospital Task Force, David Burnell’s mission wasn’t medicine but survival.

In this gripping, behind-the-scenes account, David shares the untold stories of missions deep into dangerous territory, safeguarding doctors and nurses as they delivered aid amid machete-wielding locals, potential abductions, and moments where seconds meant the difference between safety and catastrophe.

From tense standoffs in remote villages to unexpected collisions—both literal and cultural—this episode reveals the complex relationship between medical teams driven to help at any cost and the protectors sworn to bring them home alive. It’s a study in respect, trust, and the hard-earned unity that can emerge when two very different callings serve one purpose.

Listeners will hear of volatile encounters, life-saving instincts, hard conversations, and the turning point where mutual understanding transformed the mission. These are the real-world challenges of protecting healers in a world where compassion and danger walk side by side.

Find this and other episodes from the Echo Valor Podcast by searching “Echo Valor Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform. You can also discover original music by searching “Echo Valor Music” on your favorite streaming platform, and explore books and written works by searching “David Burnell” on Amazon to visit his author page.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit echovalor.substack.com

PTSD. Four letters that carry a weight far heavier than most can imagine.For those who live with it, there’s no badge of honor — only the challenge of navigating a world that looks fractured, distorted, and untrustworthy. In this deeply personal episode, David Burnell shares his own path through decades of trauma from military service, rescue missions, and humanitarian operations — from the streets of gang-ridden Los Angeles to the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Through vivid storytelling, David reveals what it’s like to view life through a “kaleidoscope” of memories, why certain triggers can take your breath away, and how the right help can rewire the brain to restore hope and clarity. He shares the tools, therapies, and mindsets that have helped him — and others — recognize, manage, and sometimes overcome the invisible wounds of service.

This episode is for veterans, first responders, survivors, and anyone who’s carried the firehose weight of trauma. It’s a message of resilience, an unflinching look at the reality of PTSD, and a reminder that you are not alone — and you are not broken.

Find this and other episodes from the Echo Valor Podcast by searching “Echo Valor Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform. You can also discover original music by searching “Echo Valor Music” on your favorite streaming platform, and explore books and written works by searching “David Burnell” on Amazon to visit his author page.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit echovalor.substack.com

Inside a grueling dive rescue instructor selection where pressure, teamwork, and failure reveal who’s truly built to endure.

Sink or Succeed takes listeners inside a brutal instructor selection at Dive Rescue International in Fort Collins, Colorado. Designed to prepare instructors who train 9-1-1 rescue divers for the most dangerous water environments—swift rivers, under-ice operations, and deep recovery dives—the course compresses enormous pressure into a single week.

Through exhausting pool evolutions, relentless teamwork challenges, and moments where quitting seems easier than continuing, candidates quickly learn that the greatest battles are often fought in the mind.

In this episode of Built By Fire, David Burnell shares how failure, fatigue, and frustration became the forge that revealed the difference between those who quit and those who endure.

This is more than a story about dive training—it’s a lesson about resilience, teamwork under pressure, and the quiet discipline required to keep moving forward when the water gets deep and the clock keeps running.

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