This is one of the wildest military redemption stories I’ve ever heard.

Shawn Vance was a former college athlete who spiraled hard—stealing for the thrill, smoking weed daily, and eventually overdosing on meth he found while picking up trash on the freeway. The overdose wrecked his heart. He could’ve died. Should’ve, honestly.

But instead… he enlisted in the Army through the 18X program and clawed his way into Special Forces.

In this Urban Valor episode, Shawn walks us through the full ride—from near-death overdose and felony arrest, to surviving Green Beret selection, passing the Q-Course, and becoming a Special Forces Medic (18D).

We break down:
– How Special Forces Selection (SFAS) really works
– Why so many 18X candidates fail out
– What actually happens during the Q-Course and SERE
– How the Army gave him the structure to turn it all around

If you’re into real stories about resilience, transformation, and the ugly truth behind “elite” military training—this one’s gonna hit.

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#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories

She came to America at five. She became a Marine. What happened next will stay with you.

This week on Urban Valor, we dive into the story of Gunnery Sergeant Kimmy Lamano, a Filipino-American immigrant who rose through the ranks of the U.S. Marine Corps while carrying the weight of trauma, silence, and survival.

From growing up in Manila and Hawaii, to surviving a convoy explosion in Afghanistan while teaching Afghan children, Kimmy’s journey is one of grit, honor, and post-service healing. For 18 years, she served her country in combat zones, humanitarian crises, and as a trailblazing female Drill Instructor.

But it wasn’t just the battlefield she had to fight on. It was the return home, the invisible wounds, and the struggle to find purpose beyond the uniform.

💥 Hear how an undocumented TBI and PTSD nearly took her down — and how she came back to serve again, this time through her nonprofit Fidelis Outreach, helping veterans and communities around the world.

🎙️ This is more than a Marine Corps story. It’s the story of an immigrant who became a leader, a survivor, and a voice for others who suffer in silence.

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Video chapters: 
00:00 – Surviving a Convoy Blast in Afghanistan
01:19 – From Manila to the Marine Corps
02:52 – Early Struggles & Learning English
05:29 – Life with Her Marine Stepdad
06:13 – Decision to Join the Marines
09:01 – Brutal First Days of Bootcamp
12:53 – Injury, Rehab & Staying the Course
17:42 – First Deployment: Hurricane Katrina
23:06 – Evacuating Beirut, 2006
26:49 – Becoming a Resilient Leader
30:45 – Combat Deployments & FOB Life
34:42 – Teaching Afghan Kids on Deployment
38:30 – The Blast That Changed Everything
43:39 – Lingering Effects of TBI & PTSD
45:51 – Fulfilling Her Dream: Drill Instructor
49:32 – Transforming Recruits Through Training
53:18 – Behind the Scenes at Parris Island
56:28 – Wrapping Up Her Military Career
59:42 – Civilian Transition & Mental Health
1:04:10 – Founding Fidelis Outreach
1:05:43 – Giving Back Around the World

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories

Blown up by a 25lb IED. Hunted by a sniper. Lost six Marines in one of the deadliest provinces in Afghanistan.

This is Marine Lt. Col. Mike Manocchio’s story — and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever heard, and it's right here on today's Urban Valor Episode! 

Mike led troops through nonstop combat in Marjah, Helmand Province — an area packed with IEDs, ambushes, and Taliban fighters tracking their every move. He survived a massive explosion, had sniper rounds miss his head by inches, and still went back out to lead his men.

But the hardest part wasn’t the firefights. It was what came after. The survivor’s guilt. The PTSD. The faces of the Marines who didn’t come home.

He opens up about the chaos of war, the day Kyle Carpenter threw himself on a grenade, and what it’s like trying to put the pieces back together when the war ends — but the battle doesn’t.

If you’re looking for Afghanistan war stories, Marine IED survival, or veteran interviews — this one’s going to stay with you.

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Video chapters: 
00:00 – Blown Up by a 25lb IED in Marjah
03:42 – Why He Joined After 9/11
07:15 – First Deployment & Losing Marines Early
12:01 – Training for the Surge in Afghanistan
18:30 – Marjah Patrols & Taliban Ambushes Begin
27:04 – IED Blast Knocks Him Out Cold
36:02 – Sniper Round Nearly Hits His Head
44:50 – Six Marines Lost in Combat
57:43 – Taliban Coordinated Attack Across Bases
1:27:50 – Mental Health Collapse & Finding Help

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories

In 2003, just days before the U.S. invaded Iraq, a US Army base in Kuwait—Camp Pennsylvania - was hit with a deadly insider attack. In this weeks Urban Valor episode, Army Sergeant Major Bart Womack recounts the terrifying night a fellow soldier threw grenades into tents full of sleeping American troops. It was the first insider attack of the Iraq War, and it came from within their own ranks.

But that wasn't the only time Bart faced death. He also survived a tense firefight in the Korean DMZ, where North Korean forces opened fire on his patrol during one of the most dangerous standoffs of the Cold War era.

From a DMZ shootout in Korea to a fatal betrayal in Kuwait, this is the true story of an American soldier who witnessed war before it even officially began.

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Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Video chapters: 
00:00 - JSA Gunfire & Tension in Korea
01:06 - Early Life & Accidental Recruitment
03:16 - Basic Training and Airborne Decision
05:40 - Korea Assignment & Sports in the Army
07:18 - Becoming a Drill Sergeant at 23
09:35 - Female vs Male Trainees in Boot Camp
13:28 - Assignment to the Joint Security Area (JSA)
16:15 - Thanksgiving Firefight & Chinese Defector
20:22 - Casualties & Aftermath in the JSA
23:12 - The Old Guard & Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
29:22 - Ranger Instructor: Choosing Training Value
33:26 - 101st Deployment to Kuwait, 2003
38:31 - The Night of the Attack Begins
41:15 - Searching for the Enemy Within
45:42 - Friendly Fire Incident Explained
51:24 - The Apprehension of Sergeant Akbar
56:13 - Discovering Personal Near-Death Experience
1:02:11 - Akbar’s Diary & Radical Motives
1:09:00 - Final Thoughts & Emotional Reflection
1:17:38 - Message to the World: Embedded Enemy
1:33:38 - How to Help: Fight for Purple Hearts

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories

Marine Corps boot camp, combat in Haditha, Iraq, and the chaos, comedy, and cost of it all.

Austin Hancock’s story is wild, hilarious, and at times heavy — this episode dives into all of it.

We start today's episode of Urban Valor with boot camp madness: grown men in whitey-tighties doing squats, drill instructors weaponizing humor like it’s their MOS, and the kind of military hazing that only makes sense once you’ve been there.

But underneath the laughs? IED-ridden convoys, combat stress, and the mental weight that doesn’t go away once the uniform does. Austin gets real about what it's like to go from the gunner's seat in Iraq to trying to figure out life back home — and how brotherhood, dark humor, and a lot of inner work helped him through.

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Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Video chapters: 
0:00 – Boot camp stories & drill instructor comedy  
5:00 – Life as a Marine tail gunner (MOS 0352)  
20:00 – Convoy missions in Iraq & dealing with IED threats  
30:00 – Brotherhood, fights, and coping with combat stress  
40:00 – Coming home & the struggle of reintegration  

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories

Army Infantryman Will Jones didn’t get a slow start to his military career.
He got thrown into the fire—checking into his first unit mid-deployment… in Baghdad.

No stateside prep. No easing in.
Just boots on ground, rifle in hand, and mortar fire exploding around him.

In this Urban Valor interview, Will shares what it’s like to be a brand new 11B Infantry soldier landing in a war zone without any time to train. His story is one of chaos, trauma, brotherhood, and survival. From Baghdad to Hurricane Katrina relief to a second 15-month deployment in Iraq, this episode is stacked with combat stories, dark military humor, and brutally honest truths about PTSD, reintegration, and what it takes to keep going.

If you’re looking for real veteran stories, Iraq war combat footage-style details, and first-hand experience from an infantry soldier in the kill zone, you’re in the right place.

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Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Video chapters: 
00:00 – Thrown into Baghdad: Will's First Day
01:20 – Life Before Enlisting: Starbucks & 9/11
04:47 – Enlisting as Infantry (11B)
07:38 – Checking Into Baghdad Mid-Deployment
12:26 – First Firefight Experience
18:02 – Learning Through Chaos: No Time to Train
22:45 – Humor Amid War
27:13 – Hurricane Katrina Relief Deployment
33:57 – Back to Iraq: Second 15-Month Tour
40:18 – Combat, Brotherhood & Daily Threats
46:05 – PTSD, Reflection, and Healing
53:41 – Advice to Young Veterans
57:32 – Urban Valor Mission

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #usarmy  #warstories

Air Force veteran Travis MossBarger was tasked with something most of us can’t even imagine — sending over 300 fallen soldiers home. In this  Urban Valor episode, Travis opens up for the first time about the silent, invisible duty that haunted him every single day of his six years in service.

He didn’t pull a trigger — he processed the aftermath.
He didn’t storm a battlefield — he read the death certificates of those who did.
And he didn’t run from RPG fire — he lit a cigarette and walked calmly to the bunker, knowing if it hit, there was nowhere to go.

This is the side of war few talk about.
The trauma of handling flag-draped caskets.
The emotional cost of staying silent.
The guilt of sending soldiers out, and the pain of bringing them home… not the way he hoped to.

Travis shares the breaking point, the buried emotions, the PTSD, and how he eventually found healing through service again — not in uniform, but in community.

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Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Video chapters: 
0:00 - Intro: Meet Travis MossBarger
0:40 - First Combat Experience in Afghanistan
2:00 - Why He Joined the Air Force
5:30 - Grandfather’s Influence & Choosing the Military
8:00 - Basic Training: The Harsh Reality
11:00 - Life as a “Latrine Queen” & Leadership Lessons
16:00 - Getting Assigned to Travis AFB
18:00 - Deployment Games & New Airman Initiations
21:30 - Deployment to Kuwait & Saving the 101st 3 Months
25:00 - First Combat Encounter in Afghanistan
28:00 - Fallen Comrade Ceremonies
31:00 - Haunting MedEvac Aircraft Stories
33:00 - Reading Death Certificates for the Fallen
36:00 - The Emotional Toll of Repetition
41:00 - Sending Soldiers Out, Bringing Them Back
45:00 - The Decision to Get Out
50:00 - The Final Deployment & Lying to Mental Health
53:00 - Coming Home: From Silence to Celebration
56:00 - Post-Military Struggles & Moving Home
58:00 - Recovery Begins: Vet Center & New Life
1:00:00 - Founding a Veteran-Friendly Company
1:02:00 - Final Message to Veterans: Seek Help

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #airforce #warstories

What do you do when your Humvee gets rocked by an IED blast… and a suspicious car creeps toward you through the dust? Most people freeze. Navy Corpsman Noi Dumpit didn't. He confronted the driver — thinking it could be his last moment — and somehow chose not to pull the trigger.

In this episode of Urban Valor, Noi relives the chaos of Fallujah, where life and death blurred by the second. He breaks down the day his Humvee was launched into the air by a vehicle-borne IED, and the surreal moment that followed when he faced a possible suicide bomber.

But the IED blast was only one chapter. Noi also opens up about his post-deployment struggles, the moral confusion of letting terrorists through checkpoints, and how martial arts eventually became his path to healing. From battlefield trauma to rebuilding a business back home, this story is raw, real, and unforgettable.

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Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Video chapters: 
00:00 – IED Blast Hits Humvee in Fallujah
00:49 – Struggling With Life After Service
01:33 – Grandfather's Heroic WWII Legacy
07:54 – Entering the Navy Corpsman Pipeline
13:10 – Tense Calls and Close Calls in Iraq
23:37 – Encountering Civilians in a Warzone
31:27 – Tribal Tensions and Healing the Wounded
37:01 – Confronting a Suspected Bomber
45:00 – Training Iraqi Forces Under Fire
50:07 – The Moral Conflict at Checkpoints
57:39 – The Mental War After the War
1:08:22 – Finding Healing Through Martial Arts
1:20:53 – PTSD Therapy and Unfinished Memories
1:26:04 – Rebuilding a Life After Chaos

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories

On August 26, 2021, during the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan, Marine veteran Christian Sanchez stood at Abbey Gate when a suicide bomber detonated his device—killing 13 U.S. service members and hundreds of Afghan civilians.

Thrown to the ground, barely conscious, Christian opened his eyes to pure chaos. Then came the gunfire—a Taliban fighter firing from a rooftop. Despite being injured, Christian engaged in the firefight, neutralized the shooter, and was later shot himself.

In this Urban Valor interview, Christian details the blast, the adrenaline-fueled battle, and the scars that never fade. You’ll hear the raw details: catching babies thrown over barbed wire, standing face-to-face with Taliban fighters, and the agonizing aftermath that changed his life forever.

This is one of the most gripping episodes of Urban Valor has ever aired.

📌 If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available:
☎️ Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1
☎️ Military OneSource: 1-800-342-9647

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Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Video chapters: 
00:00 Bomb detonates at Abbey Gate
02:14 Meet Marine Christian Sanchez
08:40 Riot control with zero training
10:25 Catching babies thrown over barbed wire
16:20 Standoff with Taliban fighters
20:40 Executions outside the barrier
32:30 Intel warns of a suicide bomber
40:12 The explosion hits
45:00 Gunfire erupts—Taliban on the rooftop
50:20 Dragging wounded Marines under fire
57:50 CCP chaos & triage
1:08:20 Hospital scene & triple ketamine trip
1:13:50 Calling families & aftermath

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories

Marine veteran Ralph Sarabia takes you inside the chaos of Iraq...convoys hit by IEDs, RPGs ripping overhead, close-quarters ambushes, and the split-second choices that decide who makes it home. 

In todays Urban Valor Podcast episode, he opens up about survivor’s guilt, hypervigilance, and rebuilding life after deployment with faith, family, and boxing. This is a raw, unfiltered account of Marine combat and the fight to heal.

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✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Video chapters: 
00:00 First firefight: RPGs, incoming, “pull the trigger, find peace”
03:32 Father absent, taking care of mom, finding a role model in a Ranger
11:41 Caught stealing as a kid—lesson that stuck
14:46 Enlisting after 9/11; boot camp identity strip, asthma scare
29:24 Unit culture, hazing, and the 48-hour call to war
38:26 Desert staging & push toward Baghdad
41:09 “I don’t want to die” — reality of contact and wounded Marines
53:48 Homecoming numbness; living like a “watchman on the wall”
1:03:13 Ramadi: daily ambushes, IEDs, morale tactics under fire
1:12:53 60 Minutes coverage; nonstop losses & memorials
1:18:49 Close calls, survivor’s guilt after Clifton’s death
1:35:13 High-profile security work, USC, brain health treatment
1:51:05 Boxing, faith, entrepreneurship—turning pain into purpose
1:56:50 Closing thoughts to vets

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories