Hazard Ground

Noel Huerta served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007 to 2011. Noel was deployed twice during Operation Freedom and was awarded the Purple Heart and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Award after being wounded in combat. After his military service, Noel attended a private education institution and earned both his Bachelors in Computer Science and Masters in Business Administration. Noel was instrumental in the formation of MVP and is currently the Chief Operating Officer of MVP. https://vetsandplayers.org Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: Noel Huerta

Denton Knapp is a Wyoming native with pioneer roots dating back four-generations in Campbell County. He grew up in Gillette, graduated from Campbell County High School in 1983, and received an appointment to the United States Military Academy, West Point. He graduated in 1987 and was commissioned as an Army Infantry Officer. He deployed to combat 3 times for Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq 2002-3 and 2005-6) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan 2012-13) and was awarded the Legion of Merit and two Bronze Star Medals (one with Valor). Knapp led programs at the highest levels of the Army, US Special Operations Command, the Pentagon and NATO in a multi-national command. He retired honorably as a Colonel in 2017, serving active duty for over three decades. Since then, Knapp has been involved in a number of endeavors including running for House of Representatives for Wyoming. https://dentonknapp.com  Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon A

Brynt Parmeter served nearly 25 years as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army rising to the rank of colonel. During his time in uniform, he served in a wide variety of operational positions to include 39 months in Iraq between 2004 and 2009 where he earned the Combat Infantry Badge and three bronze star medals. After leaving the Army, Brynt co-founded Call Sign Coffee with his wife Lisa, an e-commerce coffee roasting company in San Jose, CA.  Brynt currently is Walmart's Military and Veteran Affairs Director and has built an innovative platform called "Find a Future". He also serves the Secretary of the Army as a Civilian Aide, first as the CASA for Silicon Valley and now for NW Arkansas.  Wal-Mar's Find a Future Program - https://walmartfindafuture.com Call Sign Coffee Company - https://callsigncoffee.com Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show!

At 17 Wendell Affield joined the U.S. Navy and was sent to Vietnam. A lot happened in a 3 year time span, but that the end of that period, he was injured during an ambush while driving a river patrol boat. He was medevaced home and ventured into other projects. He detailed his military experience in a memoir, "Muddy Jungle Rivers." As an author, researcher, and memoirist, Wendell writes historical narratives that offer an honest yet sympathetic view of what life was like for those suffering from mental illness, abuse, alcoholism, and undiagnosed PTSD. https://www.amazon.com/Muddy-Jungle-Rivers-Wendell-Affield-ebook/dp/B007NLMIF4  Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit:

Larry was an Army combat veteran who had the unique experience of serving with the Ranger Regiment. He was involved in an operation in Somalia which has been documented in print and film as, "Black Hawk Down".  Since transitioning out of the Army, he has taken on more projects working with Ranger heroes and also enjoys his time at Three Rangers Whiskey. https://threerangers.com Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: Larry Moores

Will Huff served for over 23 years in the U.S. Army as an Army Officer. He achieved the rank of Colonel and served fifty-four months deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition to his military accolades, Will is a graduate of Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and the National War College in Washington, D.C. Following his Army career, Will worked in the Towson University Athletic Department and spent the last three years as Deputy Athletic Director-External Operations. Will joined Soldiers to Sidelines in June 2020 and is now the Director of Partnership for the 501c.3 supporting Veterans, Service Members, and Military Spouses into sport coaching. https://soldierstosidelines.org/ Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Epis

Phyllis Wilson served 37 years in the U.S. Army as Military Intelligence traveling the globe. She served with Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition to her military accolades, Wilson is also a Registered Nurse and holds two Masters degrees. After retiring from the military, she has continued to be a pillar of strength for women, both in and out of the military. She currently serves as President of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation that sits in front of Arlington National Cemetery – the only major national memorial honoring the 3 Million women who have defended America from the Revolutionary War to today.  www.womensmemorial.org Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music

Andi Ward joined the military after a year in college in an effort to turn her life around and escape a troubled childhood. She became a construction electrician with the US Navy Seabees. Less than a month after completing 'A' school, Andi was deployed to join her battalion NMCB 3 in Ramadi, Iraq. In 2009 Andi deployed to Djibouti, Africa, to assist with humanitarian missions in the region. She was part of Operation Natural Fire which brought together five African Nations for training exercises in Uganda. Andi had a rough transition out of the military, which led her to her current path as the Director of Training and Resources for the nonprofit Merging Vets and Players. MVP is a nonprofit that brings together Combat Veterans and Former Professional Athletes to assist with transition and give them a team again after the uniform comes off. https://vetsandplayers.org Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Pur

Tom Young served in the Air National Guard for more than 20 years. During that time, he served in Afghanistan and Iraq and also flew in combat missions to Bosnia and Kosovo to name a couple. He flew to almost 40 countries and logged nearly five thousand hours as a flight engineer on the C-5 Galaxy and the C-130 Hercules. Young retired in 2013 and has spent nearly the last ten years continuing his passion for writing for the Associated Press as well as penning several novels. His latest novel Red Burning Sky is a historical spy thriller based on the real-life mission Operation Halyard and is available now! tomyoungbooks.com Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: Tom You

When Denver Morris was just in 7th grade, his grandfather expressed his wish that Denver join the Marine and let them make a man out of him. Two months after turning 18, he started the process. Although he knew he would honor his grandfather's wish, Denver's path to the Marines was a bumpy one as he was often getting in trouble in high school. This carried over to his military service. After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was more interested in partying than being given instructions. He received an Honorable Discharge, but the problems continued. Denver shares his story of identity struggles and forgiveness. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: Denver Morris

Jason Riley enlisted in the U.S. Army right out of high school, going to the 82nd Airborne Division. His first tour to Korea lasted longer than expected due to the Gulf War. When he returned, he only had a limited time left on his contract, so he became a gunner on a UH-60. He left the Army to go to school in Ohio, but in 1993 enlisted in the New Mexico National Guard where he served 20 more years. For more than a decade, Riley has been addressing the issue of the award process and equalizing the treatment of the Guard. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: Jason Riley

John Pray's father was a career Army officer who served during WWII where he survived the Bataan Death March and three and a half years as a POW. John's father later reflected on how hard it must have been on his mother during all of his years of service. His example and sentiment were driving forces in John's future. Pray joined the United States Air Force and retired after serving 27 years in a variety of roles including Director of the White House Situation Room. After retirement, Pray didn't stop serving military families. In May 2015, he is the acting President/CEO of Operation Homefront whose mission is to help build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. https://operationhomefront.org Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spr

Bradley Walker is a self- suggestion through our website coming on to tell his journey to the military. He grew up in a small town playing football. In his high school years, he realized he was headed in the wrong direction with the wrong crowd and needed to make a change. He turned to the military even though he didn't have any family members in the military or much support in his decision. Although his initial training had him second guessing his decision, he made it through training, became a CAV scout and later deployed to Iraq. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: Bradley Walker

Patrick Dossett is a graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy and SEAL training where he later became an officer. He spent 9 years in service before leaving the military and taking on the Wharton School of Business where he became a Tillman Scholar. Afterwards, Dossett spent some time at Google and also co-founded the Tip of the Spear foundation, a non-profit that serves the special operations community. His current position is the President/CEO of Madefor, a company that offers learning tools curated by experts in the fields of neuroscience, positive psychology and health and wellness. Madefor is free to the military community and helps all learn how to live better. https://getmadefor.com Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silen

Jason Gardner knew from the early age of 7 that he would enter the military. That journey took him to the U.S. Navy where he spent nearly three decades with the SEAL team with nine deployments across the globe. Gardner brings perspective from all aspects of leadership from the front lines as a SEAL sniper to a SEAL Team Five Command Master Chief and now, in retirement, he serves as a leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor at Echelon Front.  Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: Jason Gardner

Michael Denehy served in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret and deployed 7 times. The first face he encountered off the plane of his first deployment was none other than Mark Zinno. Denehy retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2017 and went into small business ownership. He owned Chattabrewchee brewery that won several awards. Although Denehy owned the brewery, he doesn't drink alcohol anymore and is very open about his personal struggles to overcome alcoholism. Currently, he serves as Director of Communications for the National Infantry Museum Foundation, which was named USA Today's Best Free Museum of 2020. Nationalinfantrymuseum.org Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: 

Daniel Kearney grew up as an Army brat but now calls Georgia home. After earning a Marketing degree, Kearney commissioned in 2002 as a Second Lieutenant. In his 19 years of service, he has 13 combat deployments including one in the well-known Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. Colonel Kearney continues his service and, at the time of this recording, serves as the Director of Future Operations an AI-Enabled Corps efforts known as PROJECT RIDGWAY. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: Colonel Daniel Kearney

John Wayne Troxell enlisted in the U.S. Army as an armored reconnaissance specialist in 1982 and later served on 5 combat deployments including 2 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Troxell capped off his military career by serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Trump administration. Although his 37 years of service ended in 2020, he's continued to share his stories and experiences. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: U.S. Army/ John Troxell

Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson both served in the U.S. Navy, Andrews on a fast-attack submarine and Wilson as a Combat Surgeon with the U.S. Marines and Navy SEALs through multiple deployments. After serving, both have moved on to writing military thrillers. Their latest endeavor, Sons of Valor, is the first book in their new Tier One series, a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Best-selling series. https://www.andrews-wilson.com/ Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

Colonel John "Coke" Blocher received his commission from the Air Force Academy in 1999. He is a senior pilot with more than 1500 flying hours in the A/OA-10 "Warthog" and the AT-38 as an instructor pilot. Blocher was on the ground with the U.S. Army on March 20th as they breached the berm into Iraq, fought battles in Tallil, Al Kifl, Karbala and Baghdad. Just one month later for Operation Monty, Blocher's story intersects with our guests from Ep. 218, Greg "Billy Bob" Thornton and Raymond "Donk" Strasburger. While Billy Bob and Donk were fighter pilots in the air, Coke was the one on the ground yelling through the radio. Talking about his experience now only further lends itself to the resiliency he's shown throughout his career. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors! Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcast