Transition Drill

EP. 198 – Perry Yee | Navy SEAL to Servant Leader: Faith, Brotherhood & Building Legacy

Perry Yee’s story doesn’t end with his Navy SEAL Trident, it begins again with faith, service, and a powerful mission to continue leading off the battlefield. In this episode, Perry walks us through his path from joining the Navy post-9/11, surviving the grind of BUD/S, serving with SEAL Team 7 in Iraq and Afghanistan, and how his exit from the teams led him into a much deeper calling.

He opens up about the mental toll of transition, the challenge of losing the brotherhood, and how faith grounded him through the uncertainty. Perry is now the founder of Active Valor, a nonprofit that connects Gold Star children with veteran mentors. His approach to community, responsibility, and personal growth offers a blueprint for any military veteran or first responder looking for purpose beyond the uniform.

This conversation is packed with authenticity, reflection, and straight talk about the weight we carry and the ways to lay it down with purpose.

Topics Discussed:

• Why Perry joined the Navy after 9/11 and how BUD/S shaped his grit

• The impact of combat and the emotional cost of transition

• How his faith redirected his post-service mission

• The origin and mission of Active Valor

• The difference between “help” and “healing” in post-military life

Whether you're in the early stages of planning your transition or knee-deep in the mental fog post-service, Perry's story offers hope, structure, and proof that purpose never ends—it just evolves.

The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life.

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Round 73 | Stay Future Focused – Tactical Transition Tipsfor Veterans & First Responders

Whether you're 12 months out or 12 years in, this episode isyour wake-up call. In Round 73 of Tactical Transition Tips, I break down how toshift your mindset from survival mode to strategy. Transition doesn’t wait—andit doesn’t reward status. It rewards readiness.

·      Close Range Group: Focus your job hunt onwhere your industry is headed, not just what’s available now.

·      Medium Range Group: Start filling yourresume and building your portfolio—while you still control the narrative.

·      Long Range Group: Use your time to buildidentity beyond your uniform and prepare now for an unexpected pivot.

This isn’t about panic—it’s about power. Stay ahead of thecurve before the curve defines your next move.

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Round 73 | Stay Future Focused – Tactical Transition Tips for Veterans & First Responders

Whether you're 12 months out or 12 years in, this episode is your wake-up call. In Round 73 of Tactical Transition Tips, I break down how to shift your mindset from survival mode to strategy. Transition doesn’t wait—and it doesn’t reward status. It rewards readiness.

·      Close Range Group: Focus your job hunt on where your industry is headed, not just what’s available now.

·      Medium Range Group: Start filling your resume and building your portfolio—while you still control the narrative.

·      Long Range Group: Use your time to build identity beyond your uniform and prepare now for an unexpected pivot.

This isn’t about panic—it’s about power. Stay ahead of the curve before the curve defines your next move.

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197 – Sobriety, PTS & Reclaiming Life After Law Enforcement

What happens when the weight of service becomes too heavy to carry—and you don’t know how to ask for help?

In this gripping episode, retired Nashville Police Sergeant Scott Cothran shares his powerful story of trauma, addiction, and recovery. From the outside, he was a squared-away, decorated officer. But behind the badge was a man unraveling. Drinking himself into isolation, crushed by the accumulated weight of PTS, grief, and emotional suppression.

In this conversation, Scott opens up about:

• His almost 20 year law enforcement career and the unseen emotional toll of policing

• The moment he knew alcohol had taken over his life

• Surviving a suicide attempt—and the call for help that saved him

• The path to sobriety and how he rebuilt his life from the ground up

• How he now helps first responders navigate PTSD, addiction, and healing

This episode is for any veteran or first responder who’s struggling behind closed doors. It’s a message of truth, hope, and the reminder that no one fights alone.

The go-to podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and first responders preparing for life after service. Hosted by retired law enforcement leader Paul Pantani, the Transition Drill Podcast delivers real conversations about transition, identity, and what comes next after wearing the uniform.

Follow the show and share with another veteran or first responder who would enjoy this.

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Round 72 – Tactical Transition Tips | Transition Blueprint Week 8

Theme: Upgrade Your Operating System

This week’s episode dives into a key truth many veterans and first responders learn the hard way: the rules change after service. The way you led, operated, and responded in uniform doesn’t always land the same way on the civilian side. That’s not failure. That’s friction between systems.

In this episode, Paul Pantani walks through how to upgrade your internal operating system for long-term success across three transition stages:

• Close Range (less than 1 year out): Learn to build civilian emotional intelligence and shift from command presence to connection.
• Medium Range (5 years out): Begin practicing adaptive thinking through humility, small talk, and exposure to civilian leadership styles.
• Long Range (10+ years out): Start mental conditioning habits, clarify your personal philosophy, and build a support system outside the uniform.

This is not about softening who you are. It’s about refining how you show up. Because you won’t rise to the occasion, you’ll fall back on your training. Time to retrain for what’s next.

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In Episode 196, Juan "Gonzo" Gonzalez—a retired Navy SEAL with prior service as both a Navy corpsman and Army infantry medic—joins Paul to talk about his extraordinary journey. From growing up an Army brat in South and Central America to completing one of the toughest selection processes in the military, Gonzo’s story is one of discipline, adversity, and ultimately transformation.

He opens up about failing out of BUD/S his first time due to illness, coming back stronger two years later, and what it really takes mentally to make it through SEAL training. But as Gonzo explains, becoming a SEAL was just one chapter. His story offers a front-row seat to the challenges of identity loss, faith struggles, and finding purpose again after the adrenaline of combat and high-performance teams fades.

Paul and Gonzo explore:

• The institutional habits that make it hard for veterans to ask for help

• How the absence of community after transition amplifies mental strain
• Why learning to fail fast was critical in BUD/S and life
• The overlooked value of silence, reflection, and knowing who you are

This is an episode for any veteran, first responder, or purpose-driven professional who feels like the mission ended—and needs to find their next one.

The go-to podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and first responders preparing for life after service. Hosted by retired law enforcement leader Paul Pantani, the Transition Drill Podcast delivers real conversations about transition, identity, and what comes next after wearing the uniform.

Follow the show and share with another veteran or first responder who would enjoy this.

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Human Performance TRT

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The Transition Drill Podcast Tactical Transition Tips | Round 71 – Transition Blueprint Series (Week 7)

Whether you're weeks away from leaving the job or just beginning to think about your next chapter, this episode delivers practical advice tailored to military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for civilian life.

Host Paul Pantani, a retired law enforcement officer, shares three tactical tips based on your stage of transition:

• Close Range (0–12 months): Embrace the Pause Before You React

• Medium Range (2–5 years): Schedule a “Silent Strategy Day”

• Long Range (10+ years): Learn to Sit With Discomfort

This is Week 7 of the 9-week Transition Blueprint Series, designed to help you build clarity, confidence, and long-term momentum—no matter where you are in your service journey.

If you're serious about navigating veteran transition, first responder retirement, or planning your next mission in life, this episode is for you.

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The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In episode 195 of the Transition Drill Podcast, retired firefighter-paramedic Matthew Simkins shares the winding path that led him to a 33-year career serving the community of Manhattan Beach, California. Growing up in the South Bay with deep family ties to the region, Matthew’s early life was marked by personal loss and uncertainty after the death of his father when he was just 14. Drifting through jobs and relationships, it wasn’t until his late twenties that he found direction in the fire service. Starting as a reserve firefighter, Matt worked his way up, eventually becoming a certified paramedic and earning a full-time position with his hometown department. Throughout his career, he served in multiple capacities, from emergency medical services and hazardous materials response to technical rescue and industrial firefighting training. While the job brought pride, purpose, and lifelong relationships, it also took a significant toll on his body and mind. As his career came to a close during the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthew faced the emotional and physical challenges of transition. Letting go of his paramedic certification in 2022 marked the true end of his time in the field. Today, Matthew stays connected through teaching life support and CPR, offering lessons learned to help others navigate their own transitions from service to civilian life.

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The best podcast for military veterans, police officers,firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and lifeafter service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for yourtransition into civilian life. In Round 70 - Week 6 of a 9 week TransitionBlueprint Series - of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the TransitionDrill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, andmilitary veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you'reon the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning adecade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range – Establish a Weekly Family Transition Brief

Medium Range – Maintain a Personal Health Routine

Long Range – The Job is What You Do, not Who You Arm

Your host, Paul Pantani, leveraging personal experience,offers actionable strategies. This tips series provides invaluable insights andpractical tips to help you successfully navigate the complexities of changingcareers. These vital topics offer guidance and support for navigating thecomplexities of transition planning for life after service.

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The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In episode 194 of the Transition Drill Podcast, retired Navy SEAL Diego Ugalde shares his powerful story of failure, redemption, and inner healing. Raised in a turbulent home, Diego joined the Navy after high school with dreams of becoming a SEAL. His first attempt at BUD/S ended in failure due to severe injuries and lack of preparation—an experience that haunted him for eight years. After leaving the Navy, he became a paramedic, but recurring dreams of that failure led him back. At 29, Diego re-enlisted, completed BUD/S with Class 246, and went on to serve at SEAL Team Two. He retired after 20 years, having risen to the rank of E-8. But even after success, he felt unfulfilled. Seeking healing, Diego turned to psychedelic therapy, where Ibogaine helped him confront deep-rooted trauma. That experience reshaped his purpose. Now, he’s a psychedelic integration coach, speaker, Diego also leads The Trident Approach, a leadership and cultural development consultancy, and is the co-founder of Warrior Side, a nonprofit supporting military veterans and first responders in healing from service-related trauma. Diego’s story is a testament that military transition is more than finding a new job—it’s about rediscovering who you are beneath the uniform.

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