On this week's podcast, I speak with former Marine Specialist Chris Ghalayini. Chris joined the Australian Army in transport before transferring to a specialist role as a Marine Specialist. He served across East Timor, Iraq, and within a Special Operations Unit, living a career built on discipline, purpose, and service. Chris thought he would wear the uniform for life, but everything changed the day a back injury brought his journey to a sudden halt. It wasn't just the end of his military career; it was the start of a new battle he never saw coming. In this podcast, Chris shares his story in full. The highs of service. The deployments that grounded Chris for life. The pride of serving as a Marine Specialist in SOCOMD, one of the most adverse environments in the Defence Force. Chris also talks about the back injury that ended his career due to the pain he was suffering; it sent Chris into a dark place. After 6 doctors said no to operating on his back, the 7 th doctor was willing to operate. This gave Chris a new outlook on life. Unfortunately, after this operation, Chris suffered a stroke in early 2024 during his recovery, he was determined to live for his family. Chris discusses the medical separation and the transition that no soldier is ever truly prepared for. This isn't just a story about hardship. It's about rebuilding, redefining purpose. Finding strength outside the uniform, learning that sometimes the greatest comeback starts the moment life knocks you down. This is Chris's journey before, during, and after Defence. Chris is now an entrepreneur who is the managing director of Poseidon Seas Group, which specialises in the luxury yacht space. Chris now gives veterans and first Responders a way to transition after service and give them purpose again by giving them opportunities to work. Chris is still serving, just in a different uniform and a different way. This is raw, honest and a story of redemption.

Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Chris Ghalayini Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with Former Victorian Police Officer Charlie Bezzina. Charlie was one of Victoria's top Homicide detectives. In his 17 years in the Homicide Squad, he investigated more than 300 suspicious deaths, including 150 murders - among them the crimes of serial killer Paul Denyer, better known as the Frankson Serial Killer. Charlie also talks about the killing of Melbourne gangland figure Alphonse Gangitano and several murders that followed from that murder, and the Melbourne Gangland War Murders. After 38 distinguished years of service, Charlie resigned from the police and moved into the private sector, working with the Australian Cricket Team and taking a lead role in developing an investigations unit at Greyhound Racing Victoria. Charlie published his autobiography in 2010 called The Job, Policing from the front line, becoming a best seller. Charlie is now retired and enjoying life after service.

Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Charlie Bezzina Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with Royal Australian Corps of Signals (RA Sigs) veteran Emma Donaldson. Emma served for 20 years, both full-time and as a reservist. Emma served in several units throughout Australia. Emma served at 152 Signal Squadron attached to the Special Air Service Regiment in Perth. Emma excelled in her role and would later meet her future husband while serving at 152 Squadron. Emma is a veteran/wife, Mother and the first I have interviewed talking about the role of wives and children back at home while their partners are deployed overseas.

Emma met and is married to Mark Donalson VC. Mark served in the SASR and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his action in combat in Afghanistan in 2008. Emma talks openly about the day she found out that Mark would be awarded the highest bravery award, the Victoria Cross. Emma talks about the good and the bad aspects of the Victoria Cross on families. Emma supported Mark through 7 tours of duty while balancing home life as a full-time Mum. Emma also talks about how important the support of the wives and partners is while their partners are deployed. Emma speaks about the loss of friends, her postnatal depression, and her miscarriage, the struggle that all veterans and first responders face when transitioning out of uniform. Emma also talks about rediscovering her identity and purpose as a civilian.

Emma now works as a Veterans Liaison Officer for Legacy Club Services, advocating for veterans and their families. This is a raw and honest chat about the true cost of service as a veteran and life at home supporting your partner of a special forces operator and rediscovering yourself post-service.

Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Emma Donaldson Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with former US Marine / Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Officer / DEA Agent Bret Hamilton. Bret served in the US Marine Corps as a commissioned Officer. Bret deployed in the 1 st Gulf War. Bret left the Marines and, still having a willingness to serve, he joined the Charlotte–Mecklenburg Police Department as a Patrol Officer. After a couple of years, Bret applied and was accepted to join the DEA Drug Enforcement Agency. Bret worked undercover and worked throughout the US. In 2009, Bret became a member of the Foreign Deployed Advisory Support Team (FAST). Bret deployed to Afghanistan in 2010; he was promoted to team leader after his first tour. In 2011, Bret deployed for his second tour to Afghanistan, working with Task Group 66. On this deployment, Bret was shot in the ass. After Bret recovered from being shot, he deployed in 2012 for his third and final deployment to Afghanistan. There, he met and worked alongside Heston Russell team commander of November Platoon. Bret continued to work in the DEA and was the Agent in charge in the state of Alabama. Recently, an interview conducted with Journalist Mark Willacy was used in the case against Heston Russell. Willacy changed what Bret said in the interview. Bret actually said he had nothing but high praise for Heston and the Commandos, and they were some of the most professional soldiers he ever served with, not what Willacy stated that he never wanted to work with Commandos and Heston. This is a raw and honest account.

Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Bret Hamilton Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with Special Air Service Regiment & Australian Federal Police veteran Doug Sheridan, Doug enlisted in the regular army in 1991, posting to 5/7 RAR. In 1997, Doug attempted and completed SASR selection. He served 33 years in the Australian Army and Special Operations in both full-time and reserve capacities. During his service, he deployed to various locations, including Tonga, Malaysia, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, and Afghanistan. Additionally, he served with the United Nations in West Sahara. He also served for 10 years as a Federal Agent with the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Doug talks about reaching rock bottom, having suicidal ideations, and losing purpose. The steps he took to find purpose again. This is a story of true grit, determination, courage, and owning your mistakes and succeeding at the elite level.

Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Doug Sheridan Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this weeks podcast, I'm joined by Victorian Police Sergeant Mark Thomas and the founder of the Code 9 Foundation. Mark joined the Victorian Police in 1996 and has spent over 29 years in the force. However, over the course of his career with the Victorian Police Force, Mark had attended many distressing scenes and usually recovered well, that is, until he was called out to a suicide. Nearly a decade later, the situation came to a head, and Mark was hospitalised. During this period, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Mark is the founder of the Code 9 Foundation. The Code 9 Foundation provides a place of support for current & veteran professional first responders & 000 operators who live with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions that result from their service to the community. Mark talks about the hard road back. This is a deeply personal story, one of true resilience and overcoming adversity, and finding peace and light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Mark Thomas Editor: Kyle Watkins

True Blue Conversations is inclusive of all stories. On this podcast, I speak with Zach Rolfe BM. Zach is a former infantry soldier from the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment and Northern Territory Police Officer. In 2010, Zach enlisted in the Australian Army, serving in Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. Zach discharged from the Army in 2015. Zach applied to be a Police Officer and was accepted by the Northern Territory force, enrolling at the academy in Darwin in May 2016. Zach graduated as dux of his squad and was posted to Alice Springs in Central Australia – his first preference. In December 2016, during his first week with the NT Police, he rescued two tourists from flood waters near Alice Springs, for which he and a colleague were awarded the Bravery Medal in 2018. In the same year, Zach was awarded the Hong Kong Bravery Medal, becoming the first foreigner honoured by the Hong Kong government.

He joined the Alice Springs Immediate Response Team (IRT) in November 2017. On the 9 th of November 2019, Zach was sent to a remote community to serve an arrest warrant for a young Aboriginal man named Kumanjayi Walker, who was an offender with a history of offences. He was shot by Zach and later died during an attempted arrest in Yuendumu, Northern Territory, after Walker had stabbed Zach with scissors and threatened to kill Zach and his Partner. Four days after the incident, Zac was charged with murder. In 2022, Zach was found not guilty of murder. This is a complex story that needs to be heard. In this podcast, Zac talks about the shooting, losing his purpose and identity, and the mental toll this has taken on him and his family.

Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Zach Rolfe BM Editor: Kyle Watkins

On todays podcast, I speak with Keith Payne VC, AM, the oldest living recipient of the Victoria Cross in the world. From the battlefields of Korea, Malaya, and Vietnam to the struggle for veterans welfare, Keith Payne has never shied away from a fight. More than 50 years ago, this bravery saw him receive the Commonwealths highest military honour - the Victoria Cross. Keith grew up one of thirteen children in the shadow of the Great Depression and the Second World War. After seeing his father come home wounded from war, Keith joined the army. He was sent to fight in Korea at just 18 years old, the bloody beginning to decades of military service across the world. Keiths life was defined by one night in 1969. In the dark jungle of Vietnam, under heavy enemy fire, Keith returned to a fled battlefield to rescue 40 of his soldiers. For his extreme act of bravery in leading his men to safety, Keith became the last Australian to earn the VC for 40 years. Keith spent decades in the public spotlight while struggling with his own demons, then found a new purpose as an advocate for others. In a lifetime of service, he has helped not only veterans of foreign wars but also Indigenous diggers and communities left behind by civilian and military bureaucracy.

On 24TH May 1969, in Kontum Province, Warrant Officer Payne was Commanding 212th Company of 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion when the battalion was attacked by a North Vietnamese force of superior strength. Under this heavy attack, the indigenous soldiers began to fall back. Directly exposing himself to the enemys fire, Warrant Officer Payne, through his own efforts, temporarily held off the assaults by alternately firing his weapon and running from position to position, collecting grenades and throwing them at the assaulting enemy. While doing this, he was wounded in the hand and arms. Despite his outstanding efforts, the indigenous soldiers gave way under the enemys increased pressure, and the Battalion Commander, together with several advisors and a few soldiers, withdrew. Paying no attention to his wounds and under extremely heavy enemy fire, Warrant Officer Payne covered his withdrawal by throwing grenades and firing his own weapon at the enemy who were attempting to follow up. Still under fire, he then ran across exposed ground to head off his own troops, who were withdrawing in disorder. He successfully stopped them and organised the remnants of his and the second company into a temporary defensive perimeter by nightfall.

Having achieved this, Warrant Officer Payne, of his own accord and at great personal risk, moved out of the perimeter into the darkness alone in an attempt to find the wounded and other indigenous soldiers. He finally collected forty lost soldiers, some of whom had been wounded and returned with this group to the temporary defensive position he had left, only to find that the remainder of the battalion had moved back. Undeterred by this setback and personally assisting a seriously wounded American advisor, he led the group through the enemy to the safety of his battalion base. His sustained and heroic personal efforts in this action were outstanding and undoubtedly saved the lives of a large number of his indigenous soldiers and several of his fellow advisors. Warrant Officer Payne's repeated acts of exceptional personal bravery and unselfish conduct in this operation were an inspiration to all Vietnamese, United States, and Australian soldiers who served with him. His conspicuous gallantry was in the highest traditions of the Australian Army.

Victoria Cross citation published in The London Gazette, 19th September 1969

Presenter: Adam Blum

Guest: Keith Payne VC AM Editor: Kyle Watkins

On todays podcast, I speak with Australian Royal Navy Veteran Karney Armstrong. With over 11 years of service as a medic, Karney's journey is one of resilience, courage, and transformation. During her career, she faced extraordinary challenges—including a life-saving rescue when she treated a civilian attacked by a shark off Garden Island, WA, just shy of completing her Advanced Medics Assistant Course. Her dedication and quick thinking in that moment exemplify her bravery.

Despite her service, Karney faced personal battles, including PTSD, OCD and anorexia, all while managing young motherhood and deployments. Drawn to healing, she turned to yoga to reconnect with her body and calm her nervous system. After years of training, she achieved a historic milestone as the first female from Australia to medal at the Invictus Games in 2023 in Germany—winning gold in a race chair and silver in seated shot put.

With her loyal service dog Ivy by her side, Karney now dedicates her life to helping other Veterans and First Responders. She is an upcoming author, trauma-sensitive yoga instructor, and is often seen on both the News and state newspapers advocating for Veterans and First Responders, proving that healing is possible—that true strength lies in community and service. Join us as we explore her inspiring story of resilience, recovery, and purpose—because Veterans helping Veterans is where the magic is!

Presenter: Adam Blum Guest: Karney Armstrong Editor: Kyle Watkins

On today's podcast, I speak with Todd Bowler from, Western Australian Police Tactical Response Group Veteran.

Todd has 23 years of combined Police experience, consisting of general duties, close personal protection, and undercover work, with 15 years of experience as a Team Leader and Senior Instructor with the WA Police Tactical Response Group, Todd has led high-risk operations ranging from shootouts with armed criminals to arresting the Claremont Serial Killer and billion dollar drug busts.

He's worked deep undercover and provided close personal protection for U.S. Presidents and members of the British Royal family. After 23 years in the Police, Todd decided to transition back to the civilian world. Like most veterans and first responders, Todd found it hard to transition after living a very kinetic life, as all first responders live when they are serving. Todd has found purpose after service. He is now a keynote speaker and is working overseas. This is a story of true grit, determination, and never giving in.

Presenter: Adam Blum

Guest: Todd Bowler

Editor: Kyle Watkins