I am joined by my wife, Stacie Rogie, this week. She just returned from the Women's Legacy Program with Mighty Oaks Foundation and we discuss her experience. We also will touch on the importance of community and communication in order to thrive, not just survive.

This week is a collection of events that have occurred over the past few weeks that I have wanted to just talk about for a few minutes. Make sure to check out the US Army's video of Medal of Honor recipient SGM Thomas Payne!

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Miranda Briggs founded the Fight the War Within Foundation in 2020, two years after the loss of her husband, SPC Garrett Briggs, USA (Ret.), to the 22 a Day veteran suicide epidemic. The loss occurred just two short weeks after the birth of their daughter, Essex. Miranda, though devastated by the loss of her love, overcame the tragedy and turned her grief into a call to action, to save others from the same fate as Garrett.  

With the support of her friends and family, Miranda and Essex established the Fight the War Within Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources to those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress as a result of military or first responder service, or some other tragic event, so that we can continue in the fight against suicide. The Foundation's goal is to provide support for people from all walks of life, who are struggling and in need of help.  

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Additional Links from the show:

This week I interview an incredible veteran Dan Foulds. While Dan began his career in the Air Force in various capacities from loading bombs onto B-52 aircraft, to managing the Officer's Club at MacDill AFB, he made the transition to becoming a US Army Flight Warrant Officer. After his first assignment he was asked to join a newly forming unit at Hunter Army Airfield, in Savannah, Georgia, the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment Airborne in 1989.  

Dan remained with the 160th SOAR until his retirement in 1998, serving as a Flight Lead and Instructor Pilot in the MH-47D aircraft. Dan deployed in January 1991 to Saudi Arabia and flew combat missions during Desert Storm into Iraq. In April 1996, he deployed with 3/160th SOAR to assist in the evacuation of noncombatants from the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia. The operation lasted just 10 days, during which the Night Stalkers assisted in evacuating more than 2,000 noncombatants with no losses to the regiment.  

After retiring from the Army, Dan flew EMS helicopters as a line pilot, training captain, aviation base manager, and travelling relief pilot for 17 years. These days you can find Dan captaining boats in the Savannah area and teaching others to do the same.  

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Also available on Apple Podcasts, Anchor.fm, Castbox, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Just search for Thriving on Mission.  

Additional Links from the show:

https://facebook.com/coachscorner

https://thrivingonmission.com

After a couple months from the completion of Season 1, here is the roll out for Season 2. A little reflection from the first half of the year and then some things we can look forward to in the next 11 episodes.  

Watch on our Youtube Channel too!

Available on Apple Podcasts, Anchor.fm, Castbox, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Just search for Thriving on Mission.

This episode is in memory of Turbine 33, an MH-47D helicopter & crew from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). Turbine 33 was shot down on June 28th, 2005 in Northeast Afghanistan while transporting an eight-man Navy SEAL Quick Reaction Force (QRF) to aid four of their brothers in the Hindu Kush mountains. Turbine 33 was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), killing all 16 men on board - 8 Night Stalkers & 8 Navy SEALs.  

During this episode, I will share with you some of my experiences during this event and a piece of history that provided so many of us strength in the days ahead. Check out the associated blog article for this episode to see the entire letter and transcription of it.  

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Blog Post - https://thrivingonmission.com/podcast/turbine-33-in-memoriam/

This week I talk with two incredible ladies. One is my wife, Stacie Rogie, and the other is Lisa Denton, the wife of Tim who has been on this show before. Both, as spouses of retired Night Stalkers, discuss some of the struggles they have experienced and still experience because of their husbands’ military service.

Watch on our Youtube Channel too!

Available on Apple Podcasts, Anchor.fm, Castbox, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Just search for Thriving on Mission.

Wounded Warrior Program - Registration

Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs

Last November, at the Savannah Night Stalkers - 30th Anniversary Celebration, I was able to reconnect with a lot of my brothers-in-arms through the events of that week.  From fellow pilots & crew dogs to past commanders & staff officers, our docs & maintainers, both military & civilian it was a huge homecoming event for so many of us. One of the guys I was able to reconnect with was Neville Andre Anson, aka Dre.

As you will find out as you listen to our talk, Dre was a crew dog in the unit, and we flew many missions together. After we saw each other at the 30th Anniversary Celebration we exchanged contact info and agreed to catch up after the New Year. Once we did and I was able to catch up with Dre I was in shock. I was in shock because I never knew his full story, the tragedies that were part of it, and that he was a close as someone can be to taking his own life as one can. Even during this recording, I had trouble holding it together when Dre talks about one of the darkest days of his life.

Out of those life events Dre has taken it upon himself a mission to help others like himself, veterans who are in trouble and need help. Dre started an organization called Red Tape Warrior to pursue this calling. Dre is also working with the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Richmond Hill and the Savannah chapter of the NAACP. You can catch Dre on his Facebook page or feel free to drop a comment to him on this page.

Also available on our Youtube Channel.

This week I talk a little bit about some issues I have with getting a restful night of sleep, feedback from previous podcasts, and some small talk about self-isolation and social distancing. I also share five self-care practices that I think would be useful to others. To find out what they are you will have to listen to the episode.  

Remember that ultimately I'm doing these recordings to help others and to help myself. I want to stay true to this theme, this mission and this calling that I firmly believe I should be doing. If you know someone who might benefit from this episode or another one of the episodes please share it with them. I know lives are being encouraged and changed for the better and many more could also benefit from some of these messages.  

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Check out our Youtube channel too! 

As we continue with various levels of social isolation around the world I want to take this week's episode to highlight someone who, despite many reasons to just be surviving, was able to figure out how to thrive on mission. Amanda Brady is an occupational therapist who has been furloughed for almost two months here in Savannah, Georgia. My wife and I met Amanda almost three years ago when she was invited to our small-group bible study by a mutual friend. Since then we have learned how much Amanda loves Jesus, loves people and loves putting those two things together to bring hope to others.

So after she was furloughed in March, Amanda came up with an idea to help her friends who are still working in the healthcare field. Many of her friends would tell her that their ears were becoming raw & irritated from wearing a mask all day long. Looking for a solution on the internet she saw a few ideas for straps/bands to alleviate this problem. As an avid crocheter, Amanda came up with a pattern to make something like that herself for her friends.

Join us this week as we hear how she remained focus and why she chose to make hundreds, upon hundreds of Amanda Bands, recruit an army of other crocheters, and share her creation with anyone who wants it, all for free!

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