Twenty One Gun Podcast

Disclaimer - My microphone audio was messed up so apologies for sound quality! All guest audio came out fine!

Soup Sandwich #5 - Tonight we had on the women of The Behind the Service Podcast, a show dedicated to America's unsung heroes - Milspouses!

From their FB page: "Behind the men and women who serve our country and go on to become veterans are the family members who stay up nights praying, fill out mountains of endless paperwork, scour the internet researching experimental services and patiently love them back together again. If that's you, we want to say welcome to our tribe.

Join us weekly as we share our wisdom, learnings, and hearts for the spouses and families struggling to get ahead of the next episode, procedure, or silent night. We're going to cover it all from TBI, PTSD, service to home transitions, and life in general in the military and after. This is a place where we'll be real with you from our own lives and hope to captivate you and help you see that you're not alone.

This podcast is all about community so please join our Facebook group www.facebook.com/behindtheservice/

to stay in deeper connection with us and the other military family members around the country living the same life as you.

Music intro by TMR.

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Okay, rough topic I know but it is very pertinent to the discussion of mental health in the veteran. A number of studies have shown that there are links between veteran substance abuse, depression, and suicide. In one study that involved roughly 600 veterans who were deployed to either Afghanistan or Iraq, 39 percent of the vets were screened and showed positive for probable alcohol abuse. 3 percent of the vets screened were positive for probable drug use. A larger study that involved more than 675,000 active duty personnel determined that the rate of both substance use disorders and depression has increased among active members of the military. Here's the rub, what can you do? What can I do? How do you identify a brother or sister that is struggling? If you do, how do you get them help? What is the process of recovery like for the individual? Is there a process for recovery for loved ones? We will try and tackle this and more on 21 Gun's "The Soup Sandwich!"

VA Substance Abuse Resources

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Greg Gonthier embodies the adage: If you work hard and be the best at what you do, good things will happen. Having joined the Air Force in the shadow of Vietnam, Greg set out on a journey serving his country in military Law Enforcement, civilian Law Enforcement and Personal Protective services for 40+ years. His work did not go unnoticed as he was selected personally by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf to head is personal security detail during the first Gulf War. Greg has an amazing military story and shares good advice for those experiencing difficulties with the transition to civilian life (he did it 3 times!!!).

Go check out www.irreverentwarriors.com and sign up for a hike near you! Or not near you... road trip!!!

Music intro by TMR.

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Soup Sandwich is back for it's third installment. Let me know if you like this format and drop me a line if you want to be featured ([email protected]). We have a lot of fun bring veterans on for laid back unfiltered conversations!

Tonnisha B and TG are two female Combat Veterans who humorously co-host and tell their experiences in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in their day to day life experiences. Their conversations highlights the ups and downs of being a female in the Army, slight PTSD, Relationships, Sex, Wellness and Current Events... They do it ALL. This show will entertain, inspire, and empower and maybe entertain some more. Here is their link tree with all ways you can support their show!

Register for Chattanooga Hike 8/22

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Alan Thrall is the owner of Untamed Strength. His love for strength training started at a very young age and his unquenchable desire to always learn more has lead him to pursue his passion of helping others experience the fulfillment of getting stronger inside the gym and in their day to day lives.

Alan is a Marine Corps veteran who served as a presidential security guard as well as a "World Famous" Body Bearer at Arlington National Cemetery. During his stint in the Marine Corps Alan signed up for his first local amateur Strongman competition and this sparked a competitive fire that has lead him to compete in many Strongman competitions as well as Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting meets. Alan has personal experience as an athlete, a coach, and a promoter for the sport of Strongman.

To learn more about Alan's methodology, beliefs, and teaching style, check out his YouTube channel: YouTube.com/c/AlanThrall. Here you will find topics that range from strength training instruction and programming, nutrition, motivation, and more. To learn more about his gym Untamed Strength go to www.trainuntamed.com

Register for the Raleigh Hike 8/15

Register for Chattanooga Hike 8/22

Music intro by TMR.

If you liked this episode or want to share you story, shoot us an email [email protected]

Visit www.twentyonegun.net for everything 21 Gun

Follow 21 Gun on Instagram @21gunpodcast

Twenty One Gun presents the second installment of our new bi-monthly Irreverent-Warrior-focused LIVE call-in show called "The Soup Sandwich." This week I am up north on Lake Erie with TERRIBLE reception! So apologies for my audio quality. This week we discuss my bad luck on the road, how to recruit veteran hikers, and a veteran's tendency to downplay their individual trauma.

Call-ins from Mali Domek-Hernandez representing the Raleigh, NC hike, Bobbi Smith-Taylor representing Chattanooga, and James Yates from Des Moines!

Links:

Register for the Des Moines Hike 8/8

Register for the Raleigh Hike 8/15

Register for Chattanooga Hike 8/22

Music intro and outro by our newest friend Jake Hill. He's not a veteran but an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention. Visit his YouTube Site to show your support!

If you liked this episode or want to share you story, shoot us an email [email protected]

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Justin Constantine is a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps and a former attorney. While deployed to Iraq as a Civil Affairs officer attached to a Marine infantry battalion for OIF in 2006, he suffered a gunshot wound to the head, from which he made a miraculous recovery.

Justin works as an inspiration speaker and leadership consultant and serves as a liaison between the corporate and military communities. He is currently the chief business development officer at JobPath, a tech firm that helps with veteran recruitment and retention. In 2015, Constantine co-founded the Veteran Success Resource Group, a military nonprofit aimed at supporting veterans in their transition to the private sector. Constantine was also one of the wounded warriors painted by former President George W. Bush in his book "Portraits of Courage"

Justin was a wonderful guest and is a true advocate for veterans. I hope you enjoy the show.

If you liked this episode or want to share you story, shoot us an email [email protected]

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Twenty One Gun presents the first installment of our new bi-monthly Irreverent-Warrior-focused live show called "The Soup Sandwich." This week we feature Jacob Fry representing the Lincoln, NE hike and Matt Davis from the Charlotte, NC hike both of which kick off this Saturday July 25th.

Links:

Register for the Lincoln Hike

Register for the Charlotte Hike

If you liked this episode or want to share you story, shoot us an email [email protected]

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"In war, destruction is everywhere. It eats everything around you. Sometimes it eats at you." — Major Scott Huesing, Echo Company Commander.

Scott A. Huesing is a retired USMC Infantry Major with over 24 years of service, both enlisted and as a commissioned officer. His career spanned 10 deployments and he conducted operations in over 60 countries worldwide. During his numerous deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa he planned, led, and conducted hundreds of combat missions under some of the most austere and challenging conditions.

For several brutal months, from the winter of 2006 through the spring of 2007, two-hundred-fifty Marines from Echo Company, Second Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment fought daily in the dangerous, dense city streets of Ramadi, Iraq during the Multi-National Forces Surge ordered by President George W. Bush. The Marines' mission: to kill or capture anti-Iraqi forces. Their experience: like being in Hell. He memorialized the actions of the men of 2/4 in his best seller "Echo In Ramadi." He takes readers back to the streets of Ramadi in a visceral, gripping portrayal of modern urban combat. Bound together by brotherhood, honor, and the horror they faced, Echo's Marines battled day-to-day on the front-line of a totally different kind of war, without rules, built on chaos. In Echo in Ramadi, Huesing brings these resilient, resolute young men to life and shows how the savagery of urban combat left indelible scars on their bodies, psyches, and souls. Like war classics, We Were Soldiers, The Yellow Birds, and Generation Kill, Echo in Ramadi is an unforgettable capsule of one company's experience of war that will leave readers stunned.

If you like this episode or want to share you story, shoot me an email to [email protected]

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Okay, so a bunch of you IW/21 Gun listeners convinced me to take the hot seat and tell my story. I wasn't psyched about the idea of letting you all into my weird little world... but here goes nothing!

I served as an Air Force C-130 Navigator from 2003 till 2007 until I was medically discharged from PTSD/TBI sustained during combat operations in Iraq. I found myself deeply depressed and constantly questioning the events which lead to my AF career ending prematurely. I had two choices, stay in bed, drink and feel sorry for myself or dig deep, face the situation head-on and plan out my new life. Fast forward 10 years and I am now a successful Physician Assistant with a beautiful family which I adore beyond words. Lately, we're hearing about 22 veteran suicides a day. It makes me wonder where I would have been a decade ago without the support of a loving family and resources to get back on my feet. How many veterans are left feeling alone and isolated in a sea of civilians who don't speak their language, understand their humor, or share common experiences? So I decided to bring the stories of Post-9/11 Veterans out in the open. I want veterans to share their stories of success and failures and to hopefully shed light on the fact that none of us are alone as long as we call ourselves veterans!

If you like this episode or want to share you story, shoot me an email to [email protected]

Visit www.twentyonegun.net for everything 21 Gun and

Follow 21 Gun on Instagram @21gunpodcast