The Field Op

In May 2006, while serving as a Marine recruiter in San Diego, I received a phone call that changed my life.

My father and grandfather had been murdered in Colombia.

Within days, I was standing at my father’s funeral saying goodbye to my old man.

Then life kept moving.

I returned home because my son needed spinal cord surgery. I went from burying my father to sleeping in my son’s hospital room, waking up in the morning, putting on my Marine Corps uniform, going out to recruit, and returning to the hospital to be Dad.

There wasn’t much time to stop.

There wasn’t much time to process anything.

And looking back almost 20 years later, I realize that not having the opportunity to properly grieve affected me for years.

Today on The Field Op Podcast, I’m telling that story.

Not because I have grief figured out. I don’t.

I’m talking about what losing my father taught me about family, anger, responsibility, regret, appreciating the ordinary moments, and what happens when life forces you to keep moving before you’ve had time to process what just happened.

I’ve lost people to violence. I’ve lost friends through war and suicide. And those experiences changed the way I look at life.

I don’t take the little moments for granted anymore.

Because eventually you learn they were never little moments at all.

If there’s somebody you need to call, call them.

If there’s something you need to say, say it.

Tomorrow isn’t promised.

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If you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, you probably remember them.

“The Few. The Proud. The Marines.”

“Be All You Can Be.”

“It’s Not Just a Job, It’s an Adventure.”

“Aim High.”

Before social media and targeted ads, the military had 30 or 60 seconds on television to get your attention—and some of those commercials absolutely nailed it.

I still remember the old Marine Corps commercials. The lava monster. The chessboard. The sword. The challenge of becoming one of “The Few.”

Those commercials spoke to me.

But every service had its own message. The Army sold the challenge of becoming all you could be. The Navy sold adventure and seeing the world. The Air Force told you to aim high. The Coast Guard showed a different kind of service and action.

They weren’t trying to appeal to everybody.

They were trying to reach the right person.

And somewhere, a kid was sitting in front of a television watching one of those commercials thinking:

“I want to do that.”

Some of those kids eventually raised their right hand.

This week on The Field Op Podcast, we’re going old school and looking back at the military recruiting commercials that helped inspire a generation to serve—and giving some credit to the people who created them.

What recruiting commercial do you still remember? And did one of them influence you to join?

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Twenty-five years ago, America woke up on a Tuesday morning and by the end of that morning, our country—and the world—had changed forever.

2,977 innocent lives were taken.

The World Trade Center. The Pentagon. Flight 93.

Firefighters, police officers and first responders ran toward danger while everyone else was trying to escape.

Ordinary Americans aboard Flight 93 fought back knowing they might never make it home.

And in the days, months and years that followed, an entire generation answered the call to serve.

I was already wearing the uniform of a United States Marine on September 11, 2001. None of us knew that morning where the next two decades would take us.

Twenty-five years later, a generation of Americans has grown up knowing 9/11 only as history.

That’s why we have to keep telling the story.

This episode of The Field Op Podcast isn’t about politics.

It’s about remembering the people we lost, honoring those who ran toward danger, remembering the generation that went to war, and asking ourselves what happened to the unity America found on September 12.

We said we would never forget.

Twenty-five years later, we still remember.

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#TheFieldOpPodcast #September11 #September11th #911 #NeverForget #PatriotDay #WeRemember #USMC #Marines #Veterans #GWOT #FirstResponders #Flight93 #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranPodcast #SemperFi

Last night I went out to have a cigar and somehow ended up sitting next to another “Marine.”

At least that’s what I was told.

Parris Island? Check.

What was your MOS? Didn’t know what MOS meant.

What platoon? Couldn’t remember.

What unit? Things started getting fuzzy.

Then came infantry, Guam, MP, Kuwait and somehow retiring as an E-8 after roughly seven years.

And the deeper the conversation went, the less the story made sense.

The funny thing is, this isn’t even the first time I’ve encountered this. Last year I met another supposed Marine who told me he was a Major stationed at Camp Pendleton—but couldn’t tell me where because he was apparently “black ops.” He also claimed he never went through the normal Marine officer accession pipeline.

So this week on The Field Op Podcast, we’re talking about stolen valor.

Why do people pretend to have served?

Why do some veterans exaggerate the service they actually had?

What does the law really consider stolen valor?

And what are you actually taking when you claim a title, rank, deployment, medal or military experience you never earned?

You don’t have to be a Marine for me to respect you.

You don’t have to be a veteran.

Just don’t pretend to be something you’re not.

Because you can memorize a few stories.

You can buy the shirt.

You can learn a couple of phrases.

But you can’t fake the brotherhood.

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A lot of veterans know their VA disability rating.

But do you know what benefits may be available beyond your monthly disability compensation?

On this episode of The Field Op Podcast, we're breaking down VA benefits and programs that could potentially put additional money back into veterans' pockets.

We’ll talk about:

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)

Aid & Attendance

SMC-S Housebound benefits

Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grants

Automobile and adaptive equipment benefits

VA clothing allowance

Travel reimbursement

Additional compensation for dependents

Temporary 100% disability

Individual Unemployability (TDIU)

VA Family Caregiver Program

CRSC and CRDP for military retirees

Some of these programs can mean additional monthly compensation. Others can provide thousands of dollars in grants, reimbursements, or assistance.

Too many veterans spend years fighting for their disability rating and then stop asking questions once they finally receive it.

Your rating may not be the end of the conversation.

The question every veteran should be asking is:

What benefits have I earned that I don't even know exist?

We’re breaking it down on The Field Op Podcast.

Know your benefits. Know what you've earned. And share this with another veteran who needs to hear it.

The Field Op Links:

https://linktr.ee/thefieldop

#TheFieldOp #TheFieldOpPodcast #Veterans #VeteranBenefits #VABenefits #VADisability #VAClaims #SpecialMonthlyCompensation #SMC #AidAndAttendance #DisabledVeterans #MilitaryRetirees #CRSC #CRDP #TDIU #VeteranResources #VeteranAdvocate #MilitaryCommunity #VeteransHelpingVeterans

What happens when one mission ends and another begins?

This week, I sit down with fellow Marine Corps veteran Keith Barton for a conversation that goes far beyond politics.

From serving as a Recon Marine, Marine officer, and UH-1N Huey pilot to becoming an entrepreneur, published author, and congressional candidate, Keith has continued to reinvent himself while staying committed to one thing: service.

We discuss leadership, military transition, entrepreneurship, writing novels, family, purpose, and why veterans are uniquely equipped to continue making a difference long after the uniform comes off.

If you’ve ever wondered what your next mission could be, this episode is for you.

Join us for an honest conversation about leadership, resilience, reinvention, and the courage to keep answering the call.

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#Leadership

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#Author

#VeteranAuthor

#PublicService

#ReconMarine

#NavalAviator

#MissionContinues

#LeadershipMatters

When I was younger, I thought success meant promotions, rank, titles, money, and checking every box on the career ladder.

After 21 years in the Marine Corps, retirement, rebuilding my life, becoming an entrepreneur, helping veterans navigate the VA system, and mentoring families toward financial security, I've come to realize something...

Success looks very different than I imagined.

In this episode of The Field Op, I share how my definition of success has changed, why comparison is a losing game, and why legacy, purpose, and service have become the measures that matter most.

Whether you're a veteran, an entrepreneur, or simply someone trying to figure out what really matters in life, I hope this conversation gives you something to reflect on.

Because in the end, success isn't about what you accumulate.

It's about the difference you make.

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#Success

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#PersonalGrowth

#Purpose

#Legacy

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#Mindset

#ServeOthers

#KeepMovingForward

#SemperFi

For years, the military trained us to lead, adapt, solve problems, and accomplish the mission. What many veterans don't realize is that those same skills are the foundation of successful entrepreneurship.

In today's episode of The Field Op, I talk about why veterans are uniquely equipped to build businesses, lead teams, and create opportunities after the uniform comes off.

We discuss the similarities between military operations and business, why many veterans struggle in traditional corporate environments, and how entrepreneurship can provide a renewed sense of purpose and mission.

The military prepared you for more than combat.

It prepared you to lead.

Now it's up to you to decide where you'll lead next.

Listen now.

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#SmallBusiness

#LeadershipDevelopment

#BuildYourLegacy

For 250 years, America has been a beacon of hope, opportunity, and freedom for people from every corner of the world.

In today's episode of The Field Op, I reflect on what this country has meant to me as an immigrant who became a United States Marine, why the military remains one of the greatest examples of unity in America, and how this year's World Cup has given us a unique perspective—allowing us to see our country through the eyes of visitors experiencing it for the first time.

Sometimes it takes someone from another country to remind us of the things we've stopped appreciating: our hospitality, our freedom, our diversity, and the opportunities that still make America unlike any other nation on earth.

This isn't about politics.

It's about gratitude, citizenship, service, and remembering what unites us as Americans.

Happy 250th Birthday to the greatest experiment in self-government the world has ever known.

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#OneNation

#Freedom

#VeteranCommunity

#ProudAmerican

#TheMissionContinues

There comes a point in life when you look in the mirror and realize you're no longer the young Marine, soldier, sailor, or airman you once were.

The question is: what do you do with that realization?

In today's episode of The Field Op, I talk about aging, fitness, health, identity, and the transition from being the young warrior to becoming the seasoned warrior.

This isn't about giving up. It's not about lowering standards. It's about adapting.

We discuss the shift from chasing performance to prioritizing longevity, maintaining our health as we get older, dealing with injuries, staying mentally sharp, and continuing to carry the warrior ethos long after the uniform comes off.

I may not be as lean.

I may not be as mean.

But I'm still a Marine.

And the mission today is making sure I'm healthy enough to enjoy the life I fought so hard to build.

Listen now.

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#TheMissionContinues