Transition Drill

Rob Sweetman served 8 years as Navy SEAL with multiple deployments as a member of Team 7. A back injury forced his medical separation in 2018. In addition to his own sleep related issues and his mental health, the suicide of Ryan Larkin, a friend and fellow SEAL, caused Rob to immerse himself in the science of sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation on mental health. Rob has since founded the non-profit organization 62 Romeo with the mission of improving the mental health and reducing suicides of veterans and first responders by improving their sleep. Rob is also a lifelong grappler, having wrestled since he was a young boy and then transitioning to Jiu Jitsu after college.

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A police officer who transitioned to owning her own business doing RBS training.

Stephanie Kiesow went from being a woman in law enforcment to being a woman in business. Stephanie worked in law enforcement for 16 years in various assignments, including being a Cadet, a Dispatcher, and a Police Officer. A tragic event during her time in law enforcement pushed her towards peer counseling and officer wellness, as well as a master’s degree in Organizational Psychology. Stephanie has also been a financial coach and a POST instructor. If all this was not enough, Stephanie began teaching Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) classes and in 2022, after the birth of her second child, Stephanie got the opportunity to buy the RBS teaching company she was working for and chose to leave law enforcement. Today she owns her own business, Central Coast RBS, is busier than ever, but is also much happier that, even though she’s busier, she has more time with her family.

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A Marine Corps Veteran who transitioned to the corporate world and today is a COO

Ryan Borders served 12 years in the Marine Corps in the Field Artillery division and achieved the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. Since leaving the military in 2001, Ryan has had several different professional iterations, along with completing his Bachelors degree in Business Management. Today he is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bravo Sports. Ryan is committed to giving back to the Veteran and First Responder communities by offer guidance and being a mentor to those making their transition to the civilian sector.

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Odie Gallop served 4 years in the Navy. He then became a cop with the San Diego Police Department and served 28 years, retiring in 2018. During his time with San Diego PD he was a detective, a member of their SWAT team, and a member of their dignitary protection team. Today he is the technical advisor and occasional actor on the TV series SWAT.  

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Long before it became a TV series, the Lioness Program was real—and USMC Chief Warrant Officer Halima Blanton lived it.

Escaping a war-torn country as a child, Halima found refuge and purpose in the United States Marine Corps. She served 22 years, deployed multiple times to Kuwait and Afghanistan, and became part of the real-life Lioness Program Female Engagement Team (FET)—one of the earliest efforts to embed female Marines in male-dominant combat environments.

In this powerful episode, Halima reflects on the intersection of service, identity, and sacrifice—from motherhood to military marriage. She shares what it’s like to support a spouse with combat-related PTS while managing her own career, retirement, and rediscovery of purpose through Warfighter Made, the nonprofit she runs alongside her husband, retired Force Recon Marine Rob Blanton.

This episode speaks directly to veterans, military spouses, and anyone who understands that the fight doesn’t end when the uniform comes off.

Topics Covered:

• Escaping war as a child and coming to America

• Enlisting in the Marine Corps and joining the Lioness Program

• Spousal perspective on combat-related PTSD

• Balancing motherhood, marriage, and career in the military

• Serving veterans through Warfighter Made

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Marlon Marrache is a Navy veteran. When he discharged from the Navy, he joined LAPD. He retired in 2022 after serving 24 years and achieving the rank of Sergeant. Today, Marlon is a law school graduate, owns BLU Consulting where he provides training on and representation regarding internal affairs investigations, and he is developing his own public information podcast D-Tails The Breakdown.

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Christopher Cendana served 4 years in the Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008, with two deployments to Iraq. After getting out of the military, he went to back to college but that did not work out for him. Following his heart, he decided to become an actor and has since had roles in the TV shows Lucifer, How to Get Away With Murder, and Criminal Minds to name a few. In addition to acting Chris also does movie and film production. He is a member of the content creation team TnR skateboards, where he also acts in their video shorts.

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Andrew Gonzalez served 8 years in the Marine Corps with two deployments. He received the Naval Achievement Medal and achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant. Andrew was then hired as a police officer by the LAPD and retired in 2020 after 21 years. During his time as a police officer he was the 2008 Officer of the Year and the 2009 Gang Officer of the Year. Today he is the director of asset protection and supply chain distribution for a large company based in Los Angeles.

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Melani Harding joined the Navy after graduating from nursing school in 2005. She has deployments to Italy, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay and is currently in the reserves working towards 20 years. Today she is also the owner and winemaker of Bon Niche Cellars in San Miguel, California. Melani’s love of wine started during her first duty station in Italy. but she kept studying wine and winemaking. In 2017, she began volunteering at the Tackitt Family Vineyards at their Warrior Helping Warriors fundraisers. She fell in love with the Paso Robles area and after a couple years she realized her dream and purchased her winery.

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Roger Owen knew he wanted to be a police officer, so after high school he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served 4 years as an MP. When he discharged from the Marine Corps he chose to stay in Southern California and in 1995 he started his law enforcement career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After 10 years in L.A., Roger transferred to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, retiring from there in 2021. Also in 1995, Roger started training Jiu Jitsu under John De La O as well as became a member of the sheriff’s department’s force instruction staff. When he went to the Riverside Sheriff’s Department he continued as a member of their defensive tactics team and still trains BJJ today under Carlson Gracie Jr. Today Roger is the West Coast representative for Compliant Technologies, a company formed by an Army veteran and is staffed by military veterans and former members of law enforcement. The company serves the first responder community through the development of non-lethal alternatives and Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEWs).

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