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- Episode 23
She Was #2 in the Space Force. Then They Called Her Dishonorable
Col. Bree Fram · Space Force / Air Force — Colonel
Colonel Bree Fram was ranked #2 in the entire Space Force for promotion. A 23-year career — combat deployments to Iraq and Qatar, astronautical engineering, Pentagon acquisition policy, and helping stand up the Space Force itself. Then Executive Order 14183 gave her a choice: revert or get out. Now she's running for Congress in Virginia's 11th District.
- Episode 22
He Led Hundreds of Thousands. Then Everything Stopped
Tony Whitehead · National Guard
After more than 40 years in service — including advising the Chief of the National Guard Bureau — Tony Whitehead faced the one thing no leadership manual covers: losing your identity when the uniform comes off. This is an honest conversation about purpose, rank, and who you are without a mission.
- Episode 21
She Failed Out of College. Then She Flew for the Air Force
Bernadette Maldonado · Air Force — Officer
Bernadette Maldonado failed out of college her first semester. Her parents worked multiple jobs and swing shifts to keep food on the table. Years later, she was flying at 30,000 feet for the U.S. Air Force — and on her way to Capitol Hill.
- Episode 20
Pinned in the Dust as Tower 2 Fell
Clarence Singleton · Army / FDNY
Vietnam veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and FDNY firefighter Clarence Singleton was in the rubble of the South Tower on 9/11 when he was pinned in the debris and gave up hope of survival.
- Episode 19
From Wall Street to 9/11 Legacy — Why He Walked Away From Everything
Chris Meek · Civilian — 9/11 Legacy
Chris Meek left a 16-year Wall Street career, earned a doctorate, wrote best-selling books, ran for Congress, and then stripped it all away to build the 9/11 Legacy Foundation — ensuring the next generation understands responsibility, agency, and the power to act when it matters most.
- Episode 18
She Led F-15 Maintenance Squadrons. Then the Silent Enemy Found Her
Angelina Stephens · Air Force — Lt. Colonel
For twenty years, Lt. Col. Angelina 'Strike' Stephens led hundreds of airmen, commanded F-15 Strike Eagle maintenance units, and served at the Pentagon. She survived deployments, injuries, and a decade of infertility. But behind the uniform was a hidden battle: severe postpartum depression and a year of silent suicidal ideation.
- Episode 17
25 Years in the Navy — Then He Learned a Truth No One Warns You About
Shelby Mounts · Navy — Captain
After 25 years as a Navy engineer, helicopter commander, and Pentagon leader, Captain Shelby Mounts was told his skills wouldn't translate to the civilian world. His answer was to take 100 coffees with 100 strangers, earn a Shell Oil fellowship, and eventually lead NextOp — the organization built to fix veteran underemployment.
- Episode 16
She Had It All. Then She Walked Away
Jody Brown · Army
Jody Brown left a well-paying civilian career to become a second lieutenant, failed her nursing board exams twice, and nearly quit the military entirely. Her story is about walking away from the safe path and what she found on the other side.
- Episode 15
1,000 Combat Missions From Vegas — Then It Broke Him
Tanner Yackley · Air Force — MQ-9 Reaper
Tanner Yackley flew 1,000 combat missions from a climate-controlled room in Las Vegas. He held the power of life and death thousands of miles away — and then went home to the grocery store. He was told it didn't count. It did.
- Episode 14
Courage Under Fire — Now She's Speaking Out (Part 2)
Sloane Rose · Army — EOD
In part two, Sloane Rose confronts the policy battles, leadership scrutiny, and personal cost of living her truth inside an institution that wasn't built for her story. This is the episode that thousands of veterans serving in silence needed someone to record.
- Episode 13
32-Year Veteran Speaks Out — Transgender in the Military (Part 1)
Sloane Rose · Army — EOD
Sloane Rose led EOD teams through some of the Army's most dangerous assignments and transitioned while on active duty — conversations with General Mark Milley included. Part one is her story of identity, resilience, and what it costs to serve authentically.
- Episode 12
From Hardship to Heroic Impact — The VetLife Mission
Josh Parrish · Army
Josh Parrish grew up in poverty on a Native American reservation where the military wasn't a career choice — it was the only door out. When his service ended, he built VetLife and the Battle Buddy App to make sure no veteran has to navigate the system alone.
- Episode 11
From Athlete to Wing Commander — The Truth About Military Leadership
CJ Johnson · Air National Guard — Wing Commander
CJ Johnson went from college athlete to Wing Commander in the Air National Guard — and the gap between those two identities is where his real leadership story lives. This is a candid look at mentorship, emotional intelligence, and what it actually takes to lead.
- Episode 10
Why 'No' Is the Most Powerful Word in Leadership
Jim Camp Jr · Air Force — Major General
Major General Jim Camp Jr was one of the few military pilots airborne over the United States on 9/11 — and his own tanker was nearly mistaken for a terrorist threat by the friendly fighters scrambling to intercept him.
- Episode 9
The Dragon of Afghanistan — An Apache Pilot's Story
Gerald Gangaram · Army — Apache Pilot
Raised by a single mother in Queens, Gerald Gangaram graduated West Point, commanded the world's largest attack helicopter company in Afghanistan, and survived a traumatic brain injury — then rebuilt himself into a philosophy of 'forging forward' that now drives his work in civic leadership.
- Episode 8
From a South Carolina Middle School to Commanding in the Navy
Shikina Tellis · Navy — Commander
Shikina Tellis spent 26 years rising from enlisted sailor to Navy Commander — navigating leadership challenges as a woman in predominantly male spaces, surviving the emotional reckoning of retirement, and building a coaching practice to help others find themselves after the uniform.
- Episode 7
He Quit the Marine Band for Infantry. It Nearly Broke Him
Mike Ergo · USMC — Infantry
Mike Ergo had a safe seat in the Marine Corps Band. He gave it up and volunteered for the infantry. Then he came home an Ironman — and an entirely different kind of broken.
- Episode 6
I Had to Tell My Sons I Was Dying
Col. Mike Yamzon · U.S. Air Force
Col. Mike Yamzon (Ret.) | 22-Year Air Force Veteran & Defense Contractor
- Episode 4
I Realized Killing Was Not My Purpose
Amanda Evans · U.S. Air Force — Commander
Amanda Evans is a former U.S. Air Force Group Commander and pilot who transitioned from the Reserves to the Guard, navigating leadership challenges while balancing military duty with family life.
- Episode 3
Saving a Father & Son in a Blizzard: The Impossible Rescue
John Whiddon · U.S. Coast Guard
John Whiddon is a former Coast Guard helicopter pilot and aircraft commander known for his resilience and life-saving rescue missions in the Pacific Northwest.
- Episode 2
Why Your Success is Killing You: The Hero Complex
Tony Moon · Helicopter Pilot
Anthony Moon is a former helicopter pilot and veteran sharing his raw journey of healing from childhood trauma and relationship struggles.
- Episode 1
Dad's Last Plea: Find My Daughter Before I Die
Lindsey Wade · Law Enforcement — Detective
Lindsey Wade | Former Tacoma PD Detective & Cold Case Author
