The Dad Edge Podcast (formerly The Good Dad Project Podcast)

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, I sit down with Thomas "TJ" Baird — a 32-year Army veteran with 20 deployments — to talk about the real battle that followed the battlefield. TJ shares what it was like growing up with a father who was frequently deployed, only to find himself repeating that same pattern with his own daughter.   But this isn't just a military story — it's a fatherhood story. It's about PTSD, pride, brotherhood, humility, and the moment a man decides he's done living in the dark. TJ opens up about the night he realized he needed help, the ultimatum that changed everything, and the internal war between staying stuck and choosing the path toward peace. If you've ever struggled in silence or felt the weight of your past shaping your present, this episode will hit home.     Timeline Summary [0:00] The image that defines the episode — destruction on one side, sunrise on the other [2:10] 32 years of service and 20 deployments across the globe [9:20] Realizing he was becoming the fa