Tracer Burnout

“Know a vet? Tell a vet.”


Air Force veteran, Mr. Jim Lorraine, always knew he wanted to serve, but he didn't know exactly how until his mother told him to be a nurse. So that's what Jim did, and he's never looked back. 


As a flight nurse, the Air Force took Jim all over the world: caretaker flights in Europe, combat zones in the Middle East and Africa, and renditions anywhere and everywhere! Jim's drive to serve saved lives, helped generations of veterans win the healthcare battle, established SOCOM's Care Coalition, and so much more. 


He wasn't finished there, though, as he helped turn a small, regional, veteran support group into the massive network of veteran assistance called America's Warrior Partnership. Plus, tearing down the Berlin Wall, moonlighting in Tampa, charging jet fuel to a personal AmEx, and so much more!

In the Free Fire Area, we talk about some of the poor decisions we've made that have stuck with us no matter how much time goes by.

Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

In this episode, Navy veteran Tim Eliopoulos joins us in the virtual studio to tell us about his journey from college dropout to SWAT officer.

The Navy was the beginning of his journey, but certainly not the end, as Tim became a gym manager, a mortgage broker, a government contractor, and a campus cop - then made his way through the law enforcement ranks to achieve his dream of being on a SWAT team. 

Not all of the decisions were easy and not all of them were right, but Tim was determined to leave a positive impact and he's well on his way.

In the Free Fire Area, Dan and Roger talk about a few subjects that are interesting to most people but we find boring and/or lame. A bit of celebrity gossip? A little space exploration?

Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

Marine Corps veteran, Mr. Joe "Bulldog" Adcox had a lot going on when he came to the studio for a quick chat! He just attended the annual gathering of Leathernecks Motorcycle Club, got married, and is in the middle of a road trip to get together with several Bulldog Essential Fitness (BEF) clients. 

Our second returning guest, Joe tells us about his history with the Leathernecks, the charitable work they do for their communities, and how important they were in helping him transition from the Corps and into "The Wild". He also brings us up to date on the progress of BEF over the last year and his thoughts on mental health.

Theme song by EduardBykovets via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

Just a few months into her retirement, Navy veteran Candace Esquivel joins us to battle her allergies and tell us about her career as a Navy cryptologist (not cryptozoologist). 

Leaving the "freakshow" of Twinsburg, Ohio, to follow her interest in military intelligence, the Navy took Candace across the world to gather intelligence on America's adversaries. She chased new challenges everywhere she went; from the fleet to Special Operations (DEVGRU), from Capitol Hill to Cyber Command, until the only challenge remaining was life after service.

Rock climbing in Oman, the Captain's Mast, shaping policy, confirming Navy stereotypes, and so much more!

In the Free Fire Area, we discuss best and worst-case survival scenarios. Anyone up for tropical diseases and gulags?

Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

Special Forces veteran, Mr. Kevin "Edge" Edgerton, joins us in the virtual studio to tell us a bit about his own personal fitness journey, how his Special Forces experience helped him find his niche, and why 18A Fitness is the place to go if you want to be physically prepared for Army or Air Force Special Operations selection. 

Whether you want to be an operator or you're just getting off the couch, Kevin has a program for you. Bonus: he has "yoga on crack", too!

https://www.18afitness.com/

Theme song by EduardBykovets via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

"That was the first time I saw anti-aircraft artillery getting shot up at us."

With a legendary military family history going back to the Revolution, it's almost as if Air Force veteran, nurse, and writer, Ms. Mary Howe, was genetically predisposed to service. She tells us about choosing enlistment over college, the extensive training pipeline to become an AC-130 gunner, her multiple deployments, and the one mission that convinced her to leave the Air Force.

We also discuss some of the difficulties she faced once back in the civilian sector, finding her nursing niche, reconnecting with her faith, and why her writing is an important outlet for her in moving forward. 

Plus, getting dropped in the Gulf of America from 500 feet, staring out of a window for 12 hours straight, the invincibility of youth, and more! An episode so fun we had to record it twice! 

In the Free Fire Area, we discuss how our senses can be so powerful in triggering past experiences.

Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

For our third annual Memorial Day episode, Gold Star Mother, Mrs. Christina Kazakavage, joins us in the studio to tell us about her son, Air Force Technical Sergeant Adam Ginnet, who was killed in Afghanistan by an IED. 

We talk about her family’s long history of service, why Adam chose the Air Force and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), and the things that he valued most. We also discuss the arduous process of bringing Adam home, the blessings that have come from his passing, Christina's work with the EOD and Gold Star communities, and her passion for remembering and honoring all those who have served their country.

God bless our Gold Star families.

Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

Our guest for this Quick Hit is Marine Corps veteran, Mr. Mark O'Loughlin, who has written a new book on leadership. With decades of leadership experience in both the military and civilian sectors, Mark has five simple rules that any leader at any level in any field can learn and implement to improve their team and themselves. Whether you're a CEO or a junior NCO, Mark's Validated Leadership is a great guide to better, more effective leadership.

https://validatedleadership.com/

Theme song by EduardBykovets via Pixabay. 

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

Warrior Dad speaks
Old battles echo through smoke
We sit and listen.

Mr. TJ Baird, aka The Warrior Dad, stopped by the Tracer Burnout studio to tell us about his multiple decades in the Army - or at least some of that time. Willing to add another few decades to an already long lineage of service, TJ knew it wasn't going to be in the Navy, and it wasn't going to be as an infantryman. 

From being a Spanish linguist bouncing around South America to lunch time selection interviews and from 16 years of constant hush-hush global deployments to leading a Military Intelligence Brigade into Afghanistan, TJ had a remarkable career. Plus, how to make a grown man cry in public, bombing runs with Cool Bear, a really gross story about yuca, and a whole lot more!

In the Free Fire Area, Dan and Roger discuss preferred recreation settings: mountains or beaches. 

https://www.warriordadstories.com/

Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/

“That’s where I got my callsign, Yoko, because I broke up the band.”

Navy veteran, history podcaster, and YouTuber, Mrs. Jenn Bennie (aka Yoko), joins us in our virtual studio for this episode to tell us about her time as a Navy helicopter pilot. 

From growing up as a military brat to falling in love with aviation and from search and rescue missions to finding new passions in American history and motherhood, Jenn has made history of her own! Plus, Tom Selleck's bodyguards, being neighborly with Penn State legend LaVar Arrington, gymnastics at the Naval Academy, and so much more!

Jenn joins us in the Free Fire Area as we nerd-out about history, movies, and why France is terrible (except Normandy) - then she turns the tables to ask a Free Fire Area question of her own. How the turntables have turned. 

https://walkwithhistory.net/

Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay.

Support the show

https://tracerburnout.com/