As a military veteran or first responder, you need to be planning and implementing strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, Marine Corps veteran Diego Garcia shares his incredible life journey, from growing up as an undocumented immigrant in the gang-filled streets of Los Angeles to serving on the frontlines in Iraq. Diego opens up about the hardships of his childhood, the struggles he faced navigating gang life, and how joining the Marines offered him a path to escape and find purpose. Veterans and first responders will resonate with his honest account of boot camp's physical and mental challenges, the weight of service and combat, and the personal sacrifices made during war. Now dedicated to helping others, Diego started the non-profit Semper Utilis offering hope and support to those who have served, by empowering to earn and not simply give handouts. Tune in to hear how he’s channeling his experiences to empower fellow veterans and first responders to heal and thrive.

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WEB: https://semperutilis.org/

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As a military veteran or first responder, you need to plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 37 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - Shift Your Thinking from Rank to Value

Medium Range - Take Courses in Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Conflict Resolution

Long Range - Challenge Your Beliefs

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

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As a military veteran or first responder, you need to be planning and implementing strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, sit down with Mike Ettenberg, a former firefighter and entrepreneur, to explore his journey from growing up in Santa Barbara to finding his calling in the fire service, all while navigating the challenges of being an outsider, a rebel, and ultimately, a dedicated family man. Mike shares poignant stories of resilience, from overcoming academic struggles and finding his place in a world that didn’t always make sense, to pursuing his passion for public service despite the obstacles he faced. As a firefighter, Mike candidly discusses the physical and emotional toll of the job, the difficult decision to step away for his family, and his newfound mission to support fellow first responders through his innovative eyewear company, Frontline Optics. This episode offers invaluable insights for military veterans, first responders, and anyone seeking inspiration from a life lived on the edge, filled with purpose, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit.

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WEB: https://frontline-optics.com/

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As a military veteran or first responder, you need to plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 36 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - Reset Fast and Move Forward

Medium Range - Revisit Your Plan Often

Long Range - Incorporate Recovery Days

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

SPONSORS:

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As a military veteran or first responder, you need to be planning and implementing strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, Greg Campbell, a seasoned law enforcement officer, public information expert, and veteran advocate, shares his life journey from the streets of Compton, California, to his impactful work with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, retiring in 2018 at the rank of Deputy Chief Inspector with almost 30 years and 3 law enforcement agencies, and today supporting first responders and military veterans. Greg opens up about growing up amid gang violence, striving to be the first in his family to graduate college, and his transformative experiences in law enforcement, where he became a passionate advocate for change from within. Today he is the Vice President of Law Enforcement and Government with TalentSmartEQ, a premier provider of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) training and development. With a focus on leadership, resilience, and overcoming adversity, Greg’s story resonates deeply with those who serve on the front lines, offering valuable insights into navigating challenges with courage and purpose. Join us as Greg reflects on his past, his work today, and his ongoing mission to empower military members, first responders, and their communities.

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WEB: https://www.talentsmarteq.com/

Developing You: Unleashing the 11 Transformative Practices of Self-Development & Emotional Intelligence

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Developing-You-Transformative-Self-Development-Intelligence/dp/B0CVRVG57P/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1

As a military veteran or first responder, you need to be planning and implementing strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, join the conversation with Harrison Lewis, a former Army Ranger and military officer whose journey from a military upbringing to the challenges of the ROTC program, the trials of Ranger School, and his transition to civilian life offers invaluable insights for military veterans and first responders. Harrison shares his struggles and triumphs, from his early days navigating family expectations and college football dreams to his time in the elite 75th Ranger Regiment and beyond. Now, as a veteran, entrepreneur, and physical therapy student, Harrison opens up about his drive to build a global community through his veteran-owned clothing brand, GRND, and his mission to support fellow veterans, athletes, and underserved communities in their pursuit of excellence. Enjoy his compelling story of resilience, leadership, and the grind that continues to shape his life's work today.

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WEB: https://thegrndcollective.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-lewis-9358ba94/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/harrisonllewis/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/grnd.us/

GRND Commandments

1) Show Up

2) Do the work

3) Update your resume

4) Chase Passion, not fame, not money, not status

5) Be the version of yourself you would follow

6) The impression you make on others matters

7) Train your mind

8) Train your body

9) Cultivate your spirit

10) Be intentional

11) Stand on the things you say to people

12) Stand on the things you say to yourself

13) Be the light in your darkest room

14) Respect the state of uncomfort

15) Lead with your heart and a strong body will follow

16) Be an athlete

17) Embrace the GRND, it will always be hard

18) Leadership is a craft, find ways to improve self

19) Invest in relationships

20) Have fun with everything you do

21) Death is coming, cheat it by being prepared

22) Stay in season

23) Leave a foot print worth stepping in

24) Take risks, if you failure, take another

25) Go Further

As a military veteran or first responder, you need to plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 35 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - Practice Simulated Setbacks

Medium Range - Build a Strong Contingency Plan

Long Range - Learn From Your Setbacks

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

SPONSORS:

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ACCESS ALL PODCAST LINKS:

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As a military veteran or first responder, you need to be planning and implementing strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, Jonathan Chia takes us on a compelling journey through his life, from his upbringing in Cincinnati, Ohio, to his battles with addiction and his eventual redemption through military service. Growing up in a turbulent household shaped by his immigrant father's resilience and his mother's struggles with addiction, Jonathan's early years were marked by challenges that led him down a path of substance abuse. Despite these struggles, he found purpose and honor by joining the Army, where he transformed his life through rigorous training and combat deployments. Jonathan shares insights into how martial arts and the discipline of military service played a crucial role in his personal growth, while also reflecting on the mental health challenges veterans and first responders face. Today, Jonathan channels his experiences into meaningful work with his partners through the Reality Center in Santa Monica, CA, focusing on helping others who are navigating similar journeys addressing trauma. This is an inspiring conversation that highlights the resilience of veterans and first responders, emphasizing the importance of purpose, community, and healing.

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WEB: https://www.realitymgmt.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanchia00/

As a military veteran or first responder, you need to plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 34 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - No Zero Days

Medium Range - Use Time Blocking

Long Range - Set Intentional Goals

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

SPONSORS:

Trident Coffee

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ACCESS ALL PODCAST LINKS:

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Taylor Cavanaugh, a former Navy SEAL and French Foreign Legion, in Episode 157 of the Transition Drill Podcast. Taylor Cavanaugh’s story is a hard look at what happens when momentum outruns self-awareness, and what it takes to rebuild when the uniform is gone.

He starts with a childhood that moved from Boston to Southern California and a home shaped by instability, separation, and an early exposure to chaos. Sports gave him structure, status, and cover. He performed well, pushed limits, and kept finding ways to outrun consequences until the military became the one lane that felt like it could hold him.

He explains the real mechanics of getting to BUD/S, including the Delayed Entry Program pressure, the fallback job he had to sign just to get in the door, and the months of repeated PST attempts with a ship date hanging over him. In the pipeline, a simple issue nearly ended everything early: boots that were too small, infection, and the mental fight to go to medical without seeing it as quitting. He makes it through, earns the West Coast, and lands at SEAL Team 7.

From there, the episode turns into an honest account of performance, ego, legal trouble, and consequences that stacked over time. He describes command support, accountability, and how a second incident brought deeper scrutiny. Testing followed, including steroid testing sent to an Olympic-level lab. He admits what he did, owns the fallout, and describes the point where clearance and the teams were no longer an option. The Navy separated him in 2017, ending a seven-year run.

The transition that followed wasn’t clean. He describes early civilian success, and then the slow drift into prescribed stimulants, Xanax, alcohol, and eventually opiates and fentanyl. The “asset to liability” moment hits, and the slide ends in Hawaii, living out of his truck and thinking about suicide. That rock bottom becomes the pivot point.

His reset was extreme: the French Foreign Legion. He breaks down why he chose it, what the structure gave him, and what happened when his content and refusal to back down put him in conflict with leadership. The throughline is simple: systems, discipline, and responsibility, built the hard way.

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

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EPISODE BLOG PAGE AND CONNECT WITH TAYLOR:https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com/post/transition-drill-podcast-taylor-cavanaugh-navy-seal-addiction-and-the-french-foreign-legion