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Militaryfares.com President Scott Lara was working at the Kmart camera department when his supervisor asked him what he wanted to do with his life. Scott replied that he had no idea. His supervisor sa…

Militaryfares.com Pr…

Militaryfares.com President Scott Lara was working at the Kmart camera department when his supervisor asked him what he wanted to do with his life. Scott replied that he had no idea. His supervisor said “Well, join the Navy and see the world!” Scott DID enlist, serving from 1979 to 1988 as a radar man. Scott never traveled much as a young man but the Navy took him to Spain, Italy and France and would infect him with the travel bug. He says he loved every minute of this time in the Navy but decided to leave because it was really tough on his wife and young children. When he left the Navy, h…

The 299th Combat Engineer Battalion was the only combat engineer unit to land on both Omaha and Utah beaches during the D-Day invasion. Some of the engineers landed before any other allied soldiers se…

The 299th Combat Eng…

The 299th Combat Engineer Battalion was the only combat engineer unit to land on both Omaha and Utah beaches during the D-Day invasion. Some of the engineers landed before any other allied soldiers set foot on the beaches earning them the nickname “First on Omaha”. Chief Warrant Officer James W. Tucker was among them. His daughter Jean joins us to share more about the “Famous 299th”. James commanded a group of eight armored tractors whose mission was to clear obstacles and open paths off the Normandy beaches. One third of the Combat Engineer Battalion that landed on Omaha beach was kil…

“In Strange Company” author Ronald Tiso, Jr. highlights the role played by allied partners in Iraq. Iraq is often thought of as “America’s longest war”, but troops from dozens of other count…

“In Strange Compan…

“In Strange Company” author Ronald Tiso, Jr. highlights the role played by allied partners in Iraq. Iraq is often thought of as “America’s longest war”, but troops from dozens of other countries made up the coalition forces. Colonel Tiso served as a war planner at US Central Command, and as Senior Military Advisor of the Arab Peninsula Shield Force and the Polish-led multinational division. He was also Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the Coalition military assistance Training Team tasked with developing the new Iraqi Army. Col. Tiso documents the challenges…

“Rough men” is a phrase used to describe the brave warriors who volunteer to stand the watch and do what is necessary to protect our nation, freedoms and families. It is drawn from the quote “Pe…

“Rough men” is a…

“Rough men” is a phrase used to describe the brave warriors who volunteer to stand the watch and do what is necessary to protect our nation, freedoms and families. It is drawn from the quote “People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”  Sergeant Major Charles Ritter certainly qualifies. Ritter is preparing to retire after a 26 year career in the military, a majority of it spent with the elite Green Berets. He has had 17 deployments, twelve of which were combat deployments. He has been awarded the Silver Star, Bronz…

Jeff Nelligan is an Army Veteran that is recognized as one of the foremost commentators in the world of American Parenting. His book “Four Lessons from My Three Sons; How You Can Raise Resilient Kid…

Jeff Nelligan is an …

Jeff Nelligan is an Army Veteran that is recognized as one of the foremost commentators in the world of American Parenting. His book “Four Lessons from My Three Sons; How You Can Raise Resilient Kids” spent four months on the Amazon Parenting Best Seller’s List. His works have also been cited in numerous parenting magazines. In addition to his Army Service, he formerly worked for three members of our US Congress and was twice a Presidential appointee. He currently works as a Senior Public Affairs executive in Washington, DC Jeff shares a shocking statistic. Seventy five percent of the ti…

Code Name Nemo was the name eventually given to one of the most daring and audacious missions of World War II – the effort to capture a German submarine intact. Charles Lachman joins us to share thi…

Code Name Nemo was t…

Code Name Nemo was the name eventually given to one of the most daring and audacious missions of World War II – the effort to capture a German submarine intact. Charles Lachman joins us to share this fascinating and still little known story. The capture of U-505 was the first time since the War of 1812 that an enemy vessel was boarded and captured. Lachman is the Executive Producer of the nationally syndicated news program “Inside Edition” and the author of four books. In Code Name Nemo, Lachman uses archival documents and taped interviews with actual crewmembers to give the reader a dee…

Alex Kershaw is one of the foremost authors writing on World War II subject matter, having written multiple best sellers.  He was born in York, England and taught history before becoming a journalist…

Alex Kershaw is one …

Alex Kershaw is one of the foremost authors writing on World War II subject matter, having written multiple best sellers.  He was born in York, England and taught history before becoming a journalist. He has written for various publications including the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Sunday Times and the New York Times. His 2002 book “The Bedford Boys” became his first New York Times best seller. It tell the story of Bedford, Virginia, a small town that lost 21 of her sons during World War II, nineteen of them during the first minutes of D-Day.  His book “The Liberator” reco…

Belleau Wood is the site of one of the most storied battles in US Marine Corps lore. Marine Veteran Jason Angell gathered up his family and made a “pilgrimage” to this famous World War I battlefie…

Belleau Wood is the …

Belleau Wood is the site of one of the most storied battles in US Marine Corps lore. Marine Veteran Jason Angell gathered up his family and made a “pilgrimage” to this famous World War I battlefield. His experience is recounted in the Havok Journal article “A Pilgrimage to Belleau Wood”. Jason is a ten year Marine Corps Veteran with three deployments to Iraq. He and his wife felt strongly that their teen aged children should be exposed to the sacrifices made by two generations of Americans on their behalf. Following a visit to the American cemeteries in Normandy, they traveled to the B…

The Hazard Ground podcast was created by Mark Zinno to allow members of our military to share their stories of combat & survival and deliver inspirational stories about Resilience. Mark was studyi…

The Hazard Ground po…

The Hazard Ground podcast was created by Mark Zinno to allow members of our military to share their stories of combat & survival and deliver inspirational stories about Resilience. Mark was studying communications at Loyola University and joined the ROTC to help pay for his tuition. His original intent was to simply complete his four year commitment to Army and then 9/11 happened. He now has twenty five years of service in both the active duty and the National Guard, and currently holds the rank of Colonel in the Army Reserve. He had two deployments to Iraq. Mark also has over twenty years…

Fueled by the Fallen founder Kevyn Major Howard never served in the military. He has 31 film and television acting credits and is perhaps most recognized for his role as combat photographer “Rafterm…

Fueled by the Fallen…

Fueled by the Fallen founder Kevyn Major Howard never served in the military. He has 31 film and television acting credits and is perhaps most recognized for his role as combat photographer “Rafterman” in the iconic Stanley Kubrick Vietnam war film “Full Metal Jacket”. We spend some time discussing the films production and the experience of working with greats like Kubrick and R. Lee Ermey. Because of his role in Full Metal Jacket, Kevyn was invited to visit the Twenty Nine Palms Marine Base. During a tour of the base, he was drawn to a memorial for Lance Corporal Torrey L. Gray. Gray …

“Chamber Divers”, a new book by Rachel Lance, uses recently declassified documents to recount the story of a somewhat ragtag group of scientist who forever changed special operations. Lance is a b…

“Chamber Divers”…

“Chamber Divers”, a new book by Rachel Lance, uses recently declassified documents to recount the story of a somewhat ragtag group of scientist who forever changed special operations. Lance is a biological engineer and blast injury specialist who works as a researcher on military diving projects. She spent several years working with the US Navy building specialized diving equipment for our Special Forces. The need for better methods of scouting enemy beaches was apparent during the disastrous Dieppe Raid in 1942. The mission was intended as a test of the feasibility of large scale amphibio…

Air America pilot Neil Graham Hansen’s livelihood began in a manner that might portend what the rest of his career would be like. At age 23 he was the a private pilot for Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa.…

Air America pilot Ne…

Air America pilot Neil Graham Hansen’s livelihood began in a manner that might portend what the rest of his career would be like. At age 23 he was the a private pilot for Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. When I became apparent that Hoffa would be taking a “Federal Vacation”, Neil began looking for a new job. He responded to a newspaper ad seeking pilots to fly in Southeast Asia. He submitted an application but was told “we’re not hiring”. He was in a Chicago airport when he was paged to the manager’s office for a phone call. The man on the line asked Neil if he was a good pilot and wh…

“Bobbie the Weather Girl” may have been the most popular celebrity of the Vietnam War, eclipsing even Adrian Cronauer of “Good Morning Vietnam” fame. Her real name is Barbara Keith. Barbara gr…

“Bobbie the Weathe…

“Bobbie the Weather Girl” may have been the most popular celebrity of the Vietnam War, eclipsing even Adrian Cronauer of “Good Morning Vietnam” fame. Her real name is Barbara Keith. Barbara grew up a military “brat”. Her father served in WWII, Korea & Vietnam and her mother was a Navy Nurse during WWII. She believes that “If you don’t do something for your country, don’t call yourself an American.” As an adventurous 19 year old, she was looking for her opportunity to serve. However, military structure did not appeal to her so she joined US AID serving in Vietnam. She sa…

Al “Hollywood” Billings developed a reputation as a Maverick while flying for the Sea Wolves.  The Sea Wolves (Helicopter Attack Squadron Light 3) were formed specifically to support Navy Special…

Al “Hollywood” B…

Al “Hollywood” Billings developed a reputation as a Maverick while flying for the Sea Wolves.  The Sea Wolves (Helicopter Attack Squadron Light 3) were formed specifically to support Navy Special Warfare and Mobile Riverine Forces during the Vietnam War. They would become the most decorated Navy squadron of the war. We talk to Billings as part of our educational partnership with the Distinguished Flying Cross Society. He enlisted in the Naval Aviation Cadet program. “If you made it through you got your wings and commission on the same day. If you didn’t you were on a ship in the Pacif…

Sam Mackey admits he isn’t always the smartest or strongest guy in the room but he puts in the work.  His philosophy is “To find something that I can do better than everybody else and take enough…

Sam Mackey admits he…

Sam Mackey admits he isn’t always the smartest or strongest guy in the room but he puts in the work.  His philosophy is “To find something that I can do better than everybody else and take enough responsibility where I can’t be replaced and do it the best that I can.” Mackey served 20 years in the military including time with the elite Navy SEALs. He never thought he would be an entrepreneur but is now the CEO of Outsider, an outdoor lifestyle brand. Mackey’s entry into the military was rather un-auspicious. He had gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd.  His parole officer suggested…

“Homefront Stories” is a collection of fictional short stories written by Victoria Kelly inspired by her life as a military spouse.  Her 2015 work, “When Men Go Off to War” is a collection of…

“Homefront Stories…

“Homefront Stories” is a collection of fictional short stories written by Victoria Kelly inspired by her life as a military spouse.  Her 2015 work, “When Men Go Off to War” is a collection of poems written while her husband was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and captures the hopes, anxieties and intimacies of the military spouse during times of war. “Prayers of an American Wife” is a collection of poems that highlights the displacement women experience when their husbands deploy and the battles fought by those left at home Victoria graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard Universi…

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has the principle responsibility to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and our nation. It was created in J…

The Defense POW/MIA …

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has the principle responsibility to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and our nation. It was created in January of 2015 by merging the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command along with several functions of the Air Force Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory. DPAA Media Relation Chief for Outreach and Communications Sean Everette joins us to describe the agency’s functions. We are also joined by Clark Baldwin, the nephew of World War II soldier Clifford Strickland…

Stephen Paul Campos surmised it would be better to volunteer and choose his military specialty rather than be drafted during the Vietnam War. The recruiter asked what he wanted to do and Campos replie…

Stephen Paul Campos …

Stephen Paul Campos surmised it would be better to volunteer and choose his military specialty rather than be drafted during the Vietnam War. The recruiter asked what he wanted to do and Campos replied “I don’t know what I WANT to do but I know I DON’T want to be infantry.” Based upon his intake evaluations the recruiter told him he could be sent to Germany or Hawaii. Immediately upon graduation he was assigned to the infantry and soon after sent to Vietnam.Campos shares that the environment was just as much a threat as the enemy. As if the torrential rains weren’t bad enough, ther…