Colonel Martin came on Oscar Mike Radio in December 2022 to talk with me about PFC Denisha Montgomery Smith. I learned a lot about leadership, military criminal investigations, and how one person can make a difference.
I was keen to have Colonel Martin back on to talk with me because of the article I read on his site about Buffalo Soldiers. He had done a lot of research on their service and there are lessons we can apply today from their legacy.
The conversation moved to the Tuskegee Airmen and General Powell. Learning about how the Tuskegee Airmen served our country and finer points of “The Powell Doctrine” brought parts of our history to life in a way that I hadn’t thought about previously. I got the sense we had just scratched the surface of the stories of these amazing individuals.
Veterans Administration – Public Service Announcement
View and cancel health care appointments, view claims and appeals status, upload documentation to VA, securely message your doctor, locate VA facilities, retrieve your vaccine records, access the Veterans Crisis Line, and more—right from your phone—with VA’s Health and Benefits mobile app. The app also makes it easy to prove your status as a Veteran so you can take advantage of available retailer discounts. Join nearly 700,000 users in the Veteran community who are accessing their benefits and services, safely and securely, wherever and whenever they need them: https://bit.ly/3O43Yoe
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Caisson Shaving Company
The only shaving products I used on my face come from Travis Arnold’s company, Caisson Shaving Company. Travis is a Veteran and has created products that can be used anywhere. Use code “OMR10” for a 10% discount when you order
Oscar Mike Radio is now on Wreaths Across America Radio Thursday at 11 am and Sunday at 8 am eastern. Find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word wreath for Wreaths Across America Radio. Oscar Mike Radio is a top 40 podcast on Feedspot – https://blog.feedspot.com/veteran_podcasts/
Jenna Carlton and I met through “The Coalition”. It is a group of Veteran Podcasters and we support each other. She had me on her show, “The Millennial Veteran” and I was happy to return the honor.
Serving in the U.S. Navy, Jenna did Weather Service as her Military Occupational Specialty. She got out and started life as a wife and mother but felt disconnected from the kind of life she had in the Navy.
The Millennial Veteran is her way to connect with younger Veterans now. Jenna wants to network and build relationships with Veterans coming out of the military instead of waiting for a Veteran to come to traditional places. Every Sunday night, you can go to @themillennialveteran on Instagram on Sundays at 9 PM EST, where she hosts Vet Chats.
Check out Jenna’s Link Tree (https://linktr.ee/themillennialveteran) for everything about @themillennialveteran. Thank you, Jenna, for talking with me!
Veterans Administration – Public Service Announcement
View and cancel health care appointments, view claims and appeals status, upload documentation to VA, securely message your doctor, locate VA facilities, retrieve your vaccine records, access the Veterans Crisis Line, and more—right from your phone—with VA’s Health and Benefits mobile app. The app also makes it easy to prove your status as a Veteran so you can take advantage of available retailer discounts. Join nearly 700,000 users in the Veteran community who are accessing their benefits and services, safely and securely, wherever and whenever they need them: https://bit.ly/3O43Yoe
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Caisson Shaving Company
The only shaving products I used on my face come from Travis Arnold’s company, Caisson Shaving Company. Travis is a Veteran and has created products that can be used anywhere. Use code “OMR10” for a 10% discount when you order
Oscar Mike Radio is now on Wreaths Across America Radio Thursday at 11 am and Sunday at 8 am eastern. Find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word wreath for Wreaths Across America Radio. Oscar Mike Radio is a top 40 podcast on Feedspot – https://blog.feedspot.com/veteran_podcasts/
I connected with Tony through a LinkedIn Marine Corps group. We started talking and he told me about this home security system he and his son developed.
Tony served in the Marine Corps as a General Administrator. He was stationed at MCAS Yuma and Quantico. We had some good laughs talking about Yuma.
After the Marine Corps, Tony got into business and loved it. He has multiple ventures but he is most proud of the work he has done with his children.
Veterans Administration – Public Service Announcement View and cancel health care appointments, view claims and appeals status, upload documentation to VA, securely message your doctor, locate VA facilities, retrieve your vaccine records, access the Veterans Crisis Line, and more—right from your phone—with VA’s Health and Benefits mobile app. The app also makes it easy to prove your status as a Veteran so you can take advantage of available retailer discounts. Join nearly 700,000 users in the Veteran community who are accessing their benefits and services, safely and securely, wherever and whenever they need them: https://bit.ly/3O43Yoe
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Caisson Shaving Company
The only shaving products I used on my face come from Travis Arnold’s company, Caisson Shaving Company. Travis is a Veteran and has created products that can be used anywhere. Use code “OMR10” for a 10% discount when you order
Oscar Mike Radio is now on Wreaths Across America Radio Thursday at 11 am and Sunday at 8 am eastern. Find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word wreath for Wreaths Across America Radio. Oscar Mike Radio is a top 40 podcast on Feedspot – https://blog.feedspot.com/veteran_podcasts/
I remember reading Ghosts of the Valley almost two years ago. For never having gone to Afghanistan, Sean made me feel as if I was there with him every step of the way.
Sean grew up in L.A. and went into the Army as a Military Police Officer. He has deployed several times and been wounded in combat. Now he is a First Sergeant in a training battalion working with the next generation of the Army.
Ghosts of the Valley was written as a way for Sean to deal with his PTSD. He hopes that someone reads his story and understands that despite hardship, struggles, and pain, one can overcome these obstacles.
Never again, will I think of Military Police as a person with a badge waving cars through the gate. Thank you, Sean, for talking with me.
Veterans Administration – Public Service Announcement
View and cancel health care appointments, view claims and appeals status, upload documentation to VA, securely message your doctor, locate VA facilities, retrieve your vaccine records, access the Veterans Crisis Line, and more—right from your phone—with VA’s Health and Benefits mobile app. The app also makes it easy to prove your status as a Veteran so you can take advantage of available retailer discounts. Join nearly 700,000 users in the Veteran community who are accessing their benefits and services, safely and securely, wherever and whenever they need them: https://bit.ly/3O43Yoe
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Caisson Shaving Company
The only shaving products I used on my face come from Travis Arnold’s company, Caisson Shaving Company. Travis is a Veteran and has created products that can be used anywhere. Use code “OMR10” for a 10% discount when you order
Oscar Mike Radio is now on Wreaths Across America Radio Thursday at 11 am and Sunday at 8 am eastern. Find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word wreath for Wreaths Across America Radio. Oscar Mike Radio is a top 40 podcast on Feedspot – https://blog.feedspot.com/veteran_podcasts/
I got connected to Joe Hernandez through Spencer Emch. Spencer talked with me about how they met in Romania as American expats. Spencer made the introduction, and we started talking.
Joe grew up on the south side of Chicago. He wrote a book, “Nothing is Louder than Silence”. He told me it would help me understand him and where he is at in life. As I read his story, it became clear that this would be a different kind of conversation. There was no gloss, or paint used to describe his life. Joe gives you the ugly side of humanity in himself and others while showing you how he got to where he is now.
The Army marked a time for Joe when someone cared enough to square him away. One person taking the time to lead him on the right path has allowed Joe to impact many lives. Even though he is in Romania, Joe works to be a force for change wherever he is. Joe credits People’s Gas (https://www.peoplesgasdelivery.com/) in Chicago for providing training and a job opportunity when he got out of the Army that helped him immensely.
Living in Romania, Joe got connected to Spencer and they formed a friendship as Americans and Veterans. Joe is living life on his terms and is working on
You can get “Nothing is Louder than Silence” on Amazon in paperback and Ebook format (https://a.co/d/g4fGBix).
Thank you for talking with me Joe, I am looking forward to coming to Romania!
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Caisson Shaving Company
The only shaving products I used on my face come from Travis Arnold’s company, Caisson Shaving Company. Travis is a Veteran and has created products that can be used anywhere. Use code “OMR10” for a 10% discount when you order
Oscar Mike Radio is now on Wreaths Across America Radio Thursday at 11 am and Sunday at 8 am eastern. Find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word wreath for Wreaths Across America Radio. Oscar Mike Radio is a top 40 podcast on Feedspot – https://blog.feedspot.com/veteran_podcasts/
As I was talking with Spencer Emch for number 325, I became interested in Tactical 16 Publishing which published, “Time of Flight”. I reached out to Chris Schafer, who is the CEO of Tactical 16 Publishing and we started talking. I liked how the power of writing helped Chris through his journey after transitioning out of the military.
Chris Schafer spent over 25 years in the Army and saw a lot during his service that he worked to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Writing proved to be an effective way to heal from trauma, and Chris wants to share that with other Veterans.
It is an understatement to say there is a lot of work in getting a story written. Chris uses his experiences as a writer and leader to bring Veterans’ stories to life in a way that keeps the Veteran’s voice intact throughout the process. There are many stories and each one is a legacy of the service that Veterans rendered to their country.
Go to https://tactical16.com/ to learn more and get started on your writing journey. Thank you Chris for talking with me and giving me guidance.
Veterans Administration – Public Service Announcement View and cancel health care appointments, view claims and appeals status, upload documentation to VA, securely message your doctor, locate VA facilities, retrieve your vaccine records, access the Veterans Crisis Line, and more—right from your phone—with VA’s Health and Benefits mobile app. The app also makes it easy to prove your status as a Veteran so you can take advantage of available retailer discounts. Join nearly 700,000 users in the Veteran community who are accessing their benefits and services, safely and securely, wherever and whenever they need them: https://bit.ly/3O43Yoe
Semper Savage is the official marinade and salad dressing for Oscar Mike Radio! Semper Savage is a Veteran Owned salad dressing and marinade company. Go to www.sempersavage.com and use “oscarmikeradio” at checkout for 10% off your order. Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business.
Bottom Gun Coffee
The official coffee of Oscar Mike Radio is Bottom Gun Coffee. Submariners know their coffee so go to www.bottomguncoffee.com and use “OMR” at checkout for 10% off your order! Thank you for supporting a Veteran Owned Business
Caisson Shaving Company
The only shaving products I used on my face come from Travis Arnold’s company, Caisson Shaving Company. Travis is a Veteran and has created products that can be used anywhere. Use code “OMR10” for a 10% discount when you order
Oscar Mike Radio is now on Wreaths Across America Radio Thursday at 11 am and Sunday at 8 am eastern. Find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word wreath for Wreaths Across America Radio. Oscar Mike Radio is a top 40 podcast on Feedspot – https://blog.feedspot.com/veteran_podcasts/
