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Behind The Shield

James Geering

Bringing the greatest minds in mental and physical wellness to the men and women who serve our communities.

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  • 64 episodes
  • a few times a week
  • Avg 1 hr 49 min
  • English

Episodes 64

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  • #1300
    Thursday · 1 hr 28 min

    Sara Wilkinson III (Catharsis through Travelling, the Power of Community and Turning the Page on Grief) - Episode 1300

    Sara Wilkinson is the founder of the Step Up Foundation, skateboarder and Gold Star Widow. In this third conversation, we discuss catharsis through travelling, addressing the mental health crisis through community, turning the page on grief and so much more. Sara was always familiar with a military life as she grew up the youngest to a father in the Marine Corps. Her upbringing allowed her to understand the stress, high cycle times, of deployments and frequent training trips while furthering to instill her independence and resilience. Unfortunately, she’s learned even the most prepared can be unprepared in the wake of suicide. Sara has seen firsthand the hardships among the special operations community specific to multiple combat deployments, high cycle times and too many friends lost leaving lasting stress on the operators and their families. While her experience is within the Navy SEAL community she fully understands that many of our veterans are struggling regardless of branch, rank, or time in service. Sara is dedicated to using her voice and her story to change the narrative and the number to this veteran suicide epidemic.

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  • Wednesday · 2 hr 2 min

    Dr Chad Eldridge (Healing Pain with Movement, Chiropractic Medicine and Preventative Health) - Episode 524

    Chad Eldridge, DC is a Chiropractic Physician with a primary focus on performance enhancement, movement, and corrective exercise. We discuss the ailments that led him on the medical path, choosing chiropractic, functional medicine, foundation training, the obesity epidemic and so much more. Chad Eldridge, DC is a Chiropractic Physician with a primary focus on performance enhancement, movement, and corrective exercise. His passion and curiosity of the human body started at a young age where he spent many hours after school in medical doctor and chiropractic offices, in which his mother worked. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Communications from the University of Central Florida and then moved to California to live out a dream of his and pursue other creative endeavors. Eventually, that passion and curiosity of the human body led him to return to Florida and pursue a career as a Chiropractic Physician. He graduated Cum Laude from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2012. While attending chiropractic college, Chad developed an immense interest in human movement. This led him to attend a multitude of courses to develop his skills and knowledge in this subject. These courses provided him with valuable concepts and techniques to spot out dysfunctions in movement, ways to address these dysfunctions, and to narrow down the true cause of your pain or restrictions. Chad has been an athlete his entire life, participating in a wide variety of sports and physical activity. Plagued and sidelined by a multitude of injuries in his earlier years, Chad has experienced the feeling of not being able to participate in the things you love. This has sparked his continued pursuit of knowledge and skill to provide patient’s with the greatest potential for pain-free living and quality movement in order for them to perform the activities they love for as long as they wish. https://www.platinumfitnesssummerland.com/chad-eldridge

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  • #1299
    Sunday · 1 hr 57 min

    Dr Jessa LaCroix (The Mental Health Cost of Sleep Deprivation, Forging Performance and the Suicide Epidemic) - Episode 1299

    Dr. Jessa LaCroix is a social psychologist, behavioral health researcher, and scientific advisor focused on advancing mental health, suicide prevention, and human performance. She is a Research Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and serves as a Lead Scientific Advisor for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) through Strategic Engineering Solutions. Her work has spanned federally funded research initiatives addressing suicide prevention, cognitive optimization, and mental health. She is passionate about bridging behavioral science and health innovation to develop more effective approaches to prevention, treatment, and resilience. Dr. LaCroix is particularly interested in how biology, psychology, social context, and meaning-making interact to shape human health—and how a deeper understanding of these processes could unlock new possibilities for healing and well-being. Please note that Dr. LaCroix's views are her own and do not represent her employer, the Department of War, ARPA-H, or the federal government.

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  • October 24 · 2 hr 7 min

    Julie Lewis (Living with AIDS, Medical Miracles and the Power of Community) - Episode 839

    Julie Lewis, a 38-­year AIDS survivor, and mother to Grammy Award winning musician, Ryan Lewis, was infected with HIV in 1984 but not diagnosed until the early 1990s when she was given three to five years to live. After years of silence about her disease, she found an unlikely community of friends to fight alongside and began using her story to make a difference. Her experiences as a woman living with AIDS offers insights about grief and loss, caregiving, spirituality, and the importance of community in the midst of tragedy. Thirty years later, wanting to find a way to celebrate her incredible journey, and her passion for community health, she launched the 30/30 Project to positively impact the lives of other women, girls, and families who didn’t have the same access to the healthcare opportunities that she’s had. https://stillpositive.com/

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  • #1298
    October 22 · 1 hr 35 min

    Dixon Phillips III (The Truth Behind Amendment 3, the Success of the 24/72 and Fatherhood) - Episode 1298

    Dixon Phillips is a former collegiate athlete, Pasco County firefighter and former union president of IAFF Local 4420. In this third conversation, he unpacks the history, mistruths and realities of Florida's Amendment 3, the negative impact it will have on Florida's first responders and the safety of their citizens. We also discuss proactive solutions to government overspending from community medicine to the 24/72 firefighter shift. "As President of IAFF Local 4420, Pasco County Professional Firefighters, I proudly represented over 800 members who serve our community with dedication and professionalism. In this role, I led collective bargaining efforts, negotiate contracts, handle member grievances and disciplinary matters, and advocated for legislative change and appropriations that directly impact the fire service. With nearly a decade of experience as a firefighter paramedic, I understood the challenges our members face on the job and fought every day to ensure they have the support, protections, and resources they need. Whether it's pushing for better benefits, addressing workplace issues, or securing funding at the local and state level, I was committed to advancing the rights and well-being of our membership."

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  • October 21 · 2 hr 41 min

    Hon. Allen B Clark (Losing Limbs in Vietnam, the Industrial Military Complex and Healing our Veterans) - Episode 525

    Hon. Allen Clark is a Vietnam veteran, author, public speaker and Minister. We discuss giving both his legs for his country, the physical and mental rehabilitation journey, working with the VA, the spiritual arm of healing, the industrial military complex and so much more. After attending Phillips Exeter Academy, Allen graduated the United States Military Academy in 1963, after which he was commissioned in the Army Corps of Engineers. Two years after graduation from West Point, he volunteered for a tour in Vietnam where he served as a Military Intelligence officer assigned to the Fifth Special Forces Group. Allen sustained injuries in an early-morning mortar attack at the Dak To Special Forces camp on June 17, 1967, that necessitated the amputation of both legs below his knees. His military service and sacrifice were recognized with receipt of a Silver Star for Gallantry in Action, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. He was airborne-qualified. While learning to adjust to his disability and to walk on prosthetic legs, he obtained an MBA in finance and investments from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Allen's first post-graduate position was as an investment manager for Ross Perot. His other private sector experience has spanned oil and gas exploration, real estate marketing, and mortgage lending. He has been vice president of a bank, president of three oil service companies, and co-founder of a real estate investment company in Texas. Allen's impassioned commitment to public service and to helping veterans began with an appointment in 1979 as the Special Assistant for Administration to Texas Governor William P. Clements, Jr. In 1981, Allen was President Ronald Reagan's selection to be Deputy Administrator for the Veterans Administration (now the Department of Veterans Affairs). However, he chose to remain in Texas where in 1982 he received the Texas Republican Party's nomination to run for State Treasurer in a race that was won by former Texas State Governor Ann Richards. In 1989, he was nominated by President George H.W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Assistant Secretary for Veterans Liaison and Program Coordination at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1991, he received his second VA confirmation as Director of the National Cemetery System, a position in which he served until the end of the President George H. W. Bush administration. Allen's dedicated efforts to support veteran's causes at the national and state levels were recognized with his selection in 2011 by the Texas state Disabled American Veterans organization as their Outstanding Disabled American He retired in 2005 as the Public Affairs Officer of the VA North Texas Health Care System in Dallas, Texas. His current lay ministry, Combat Faith is involved in outreach efforts to help active duty military personnel and veterans recover from the traumas of combat and their adverse wartime experiences. Allen participates in many community and civic activities, including regularly speaking at warrior transition battalions, military post chapels, high schools and colleges, service and veteran groups, youth conferences, and churches. He has addressed many audiences nationwide as a public official, motivational speaker, and political candidate. www.combatfaith.com

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  • #1297
    October 18 · 50 min

    Dr Thaer Ahmad (Unifying Faiths in Gaza, Healing through Storytelling and the Rebirth of Humanity) - Episode 1297

    Dr. Thaer Ahmad, MD is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, global health expert, educator, and humanitarian who has provided medical relief and healthcare capacity-building in some of the world's most devastated conflict zones for over fifteen years. A Palestinian-American raised on Chicago's South Side, Dr. Ahmad first traveled to Gaza in 2009 on a medical mission and has returned multiple times since. After borders reopened in late 2023, he was deployed by the World Health Organization as part of an Emergency Medical Team to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in 2024, where he worked in the emergency department's resuscitation room. His humanitarian medical work has also taken him to Lebanon (missions in October 2024 and May 2026) and to the West Bank (four medical missions, most recently July 2026), with capacity-building across Syria, Türkiye, Jordan, and Kenya, and refugee-health work across Europe and the Middle East. Since October 2024, Dr. Ahmad has been denied entry into Gaza by Israeli authorities on five separate occasions, most recently on July 29, 2026, despite planned humanitarian medical missions. At home, he is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Global Emergency Medicine Academy at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) and on the advisory board of The Borgen Project. He is a board member of the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and a past board member of MedGlobal. A three-time recipient of the Humanitarian Award from his medical staff and the 2025 SAEM Global Emergency Medicine Academy Humanitarian Service Award honoree, he has become a leading public voice — testifying before the United Nations, speaking with Refugees International, and now appearing in the documentary American Doctor (dir. Poh Si Teng), which premiered at Sundance and opens in select theaters from August 14, 2026. https://thaerahmad.com/

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  • October 18 · 2 hr 15 min

    Nick O'Kelly (Special Operations Aviation, Mental Health and Operational Readiness) - Episode 837

    Nick O'Kelly is a former U.S. Army Green Beret and Special Operations Blackhawk Pilot. We discuss his early life, his journey into the military, Special Forces selection, serving in South East Asia, transitioning into Aviation, Organizational Stress, returning to the SF community as a pilot, his own powerful mental health story, NuCalm and so much more.

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  • #1296
    October 15 · 2 hr 14 min

    Dave Gallagher (Fifty Years of Firefighting Wisdom, Servant Leadership and the Power of Humility) - Episode 1296

    Dave Gallagher began his fire service career when he listened to his Dad’s fire stories and stories about his grandfather who served in the days of the horses. He joined his local volunteer fire department in 1976 as a FF/PM after spending two years as a founding member of a Fire/Rescue Explorer Post in Montgomery County Ohio. Soon after he was hired by the Fairborn, Ohio FD, where he spent a year, but then was hired by the Wayne Twp FD in 1979, which became the Huber Heights Fire Division. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1982, and during his time there served as a HazMat Technician and Training Officer. His journey also saw him brought on as an instructor and advisory board member to FDIC and instructor for Firehouse Magazine in the mid-nineties. He traveled the country with some of the biggest names of the Fire Service and learned tremendously in their presence and has done his best to pass the lessons along. In 2004 he was retired due to LODI, but continued to instruct with On Scene Training Associates and several other groups including working with Affordable Drill Towers. He moved to just outside of Worcester, Massachusetts, and began working at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in 2014. He also joined one of the elite firefighting training groups, the New England FOOLs chapter, where he is a Life Member, and had the honor to be an instructor for the Joey D Foundation conferences in NY and TX. In 2020 he and his wife Sue moved to St Lucie County in Florida where he also helped out at several of the Treasure Coast FOOLs trainings. He has been a featured speaker on podcasts and has written articles for Fire Service magazines.

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  • October 13 · 1 hr 52 min

    Dr Stefi Cohen (Breaking Powerlifting World Records, Tactical Athletes and Strength Training) - Episode 238

    Stefi has an extensive list of achievements in the athletic field but she is also very well accomplished in the academic field. Not only is Stefi a multiple world record holding powerlifter, she is also an exercise physiologist and doctor of physical therapy. In Olympic Weightlifting Stefi was the Florida senior state gold medalist (2015). Illinois senior state gold medalist and record holder (2015). In Powerlifting Stefi is the current all-time world record holder in squat, deadlift and total, she has 11 total all time world records so far in her career and is the #1 123lb Powerlifter in the world. Prior to strength sports Stefi was an accomplished NCAA (D1) Soccer Player for San Diego State 2009-10, she was also a member of the U17 Venezuelan National Soccer Team 2006-09.

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  • #1295
    October 11 · 2 hr 6 min

    Jason Cheney (Mental Health in Policing, Humanitarian Work and Redefining Leadership) - Episode 1295

    Jason “Jay” Cheney, is a 18-year Air Force veteran and former police officer of 12 years who spent over two decades serving his community and his country — including seven years on a SWAT team. Jay’s been on both sides of the badge: the one that serves and the one that struggles. After hitting rock bottom and finding his way back through faith, fitness, and purpose, he’s here to share what he wishes every officer knew about mental health, resilience, and the power of asking for help. https://www.instagram.com/jason_gpnvgs/

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  • October 10 · 2 hr 32 min

    Sean Evangelista (Ski Patrol, Tier One Special Operations and the Leadership Crisis) - Episode 833

    Sean Evangelista is a former Tier One Navy SEAL and the founder of "30 Seconds Out". We discuss his traumatic childhood, going through the "Scared Straight" program, climbing, his journey into the Navy, his perspective on war, his transition story, mountaineering, Ski Patrol, entrepreneurship, post traumatic growth and so much more. After retiring from 20 years in the military, Sean (aka E-Van), left Virginia Beach and headed straight to the Rocky Mountains in Idaho to start a new life in 2013. He taught himself how to ski with the help of some friends then worked as a pro ski patroller for three years. He kicked off Thirty Seconds Out in 2014. When asked what he does for a living, he tells people that he sells t-shirts on the internet but it's so much more than that. He's kind of shy, oddly. These days, you can find our original designs on firefighters and first responders around the world, special ops teams from dozens of nations, Formula race car drivers, strength athletes, climbers, investment bankers in Manhattan, machines on GM factory floors, and even kids just out riding their bikes in the dirt.Sean learned a ton of lessons during his time in service. Specifically, working in small teams and doing dicey work with high consequences. He found these lessons to be universally beneficial and not confined to the world of the military and wanted to share them with whoever out there was interested, through the medium of art and design. Authenticity, fearlessness, critical thinking, integrity, bettering ourselves and the world around us are Evan’s essential values. He cares for his employees like family and values his customers like close friends. When not working on his business, Sean is constantly learning, consuming books and podcasts like mad. He is working his way up the overhanging ladder of becoming a certified mountain guide one day and is an avid rock and ice climber, loves skiing, trail running, traveling and spending time with his wife, Tamra. https://www.instagram.com/thirtysecondsout/?hl=en

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  • #1294
    October 8 · 2 hr

    Richard Sprunger (Special Operations Medicine, Fire Service Leadership and Suicide) - Episode 1294

    Richard “DOC” Sprunger is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who served 14 years with five deployments and later spent 24 years as a Firefighter/Paramedic. Across nearly four decades of service, Richard experienced combat, traumatic emergency calls, significant injuries, loss, and the cumulative impact of a career spent running toward other people’s worst days. After losing nine friends and brothers to suicide over a four-year period, including six SEALs and two firefighters, he began confronting the cost that years of trauma, compartmentalization, and emotional armor had taken on his own life and relationships. That journey led Richard deep into his own healing and ultimately into the work he does today. His training includes Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Critical Incident Stress Management and Debriefing, trauma-informed somatic practices, and transgenerational trauma. He is an ICF Level 1 trained coach, Certified Master Life Coach, Certified John Maxwell Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Mentor, Insight Coaching Community Certified Coach, and a certified CISM/CISD practitioner and facilitator. Today, Richard is a men’s and relationship coach, life strategist, speaker, and corporate trainer who works primarily with men who look successful on paper but feel lost, disconnected, or stuck on the inside. He helps military members, veterans, first responders, leaders, husbands, fathers, and high-performing men gain clarity, understand the experiences and patterns shaping their lives, strengthen their relationships, and intentionally become the men they want to be. His mission is simple: to save lives and deepen relationships, one person, one conversation at a time. https://www.kaizenmasterygroup.com/

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  • #1293
    October 4 · 1 hr 33 min

    Sam Juan (Moral Injury from Combat, Catharsis through Art and Post Traumatic Growth) - Episode 1293

    Samantha Juan is a Filipina-Persian American writer, visual artist, speaker, and U.S. Army veteran whose work examines survival, identity, memory, and the body’s long return to itself. Samantha served in the U.S. Army from 2003 to 2013, including as a signals intelligence analyst and Cultural Support Team leader attached to Joint Special Operations Command in Afghanistan. She is a Bronze Star recipient and 2014 Pat Tillman Scholar, with a BFA from Old Dominion University and an MLA from Johns Hopkins University. Raised between cultures and shaped by nearly a decade of military service, she brings a rare lens to the conversations around trauma, leadership, motherhood, creativity, and what it means to rebuild a life after the nervous system has learned to live in defense. Her literary memoir, Everything Happens For You, is represented by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group and explores the cost of performance, the afterlife of war, addiction, motherhood, and the process of becoming fully inhabitable to herself. Her healing work has included writing, painting, and carefully supported psychedelic therapy. She speaks about plant medicine with nuance, not as a miracle cure, but as one part of a larger reckoning with trauma, integration, truth, and the body’s intelligence. Her work has appeared in The War Horse and Brown Sugar Literary Magazine, and she has been featured on CNN’s The One Thing discussing veteran healing and psychedelic therapy. Through her writing, art, and speaking, Samantha creates language for the places where survival once had to become personality. Her work is not about polishing pain into inspiration. It is about telling the truth with enough discipline, beauty, and courage that something more honest can finally emerge.

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  • October 3 · 2 hr 39 min

    Dan Bornstein (How Obesity affects National Security, Physical Education in Schools and Operational Readiness) - Episode 669

    Dan Bornstein is a former volunteer firefighter, Health and Performance professor at the Citadel and Chair of the US National Physical Activity Plan. We discuss the childhood injury that led him into the fire service, obesity and national security, the financial impact of the nation's ill health, physical education, physical readiness in the tactical professions and so much more. Daniel B. Bornstein, Ph.D. is the Founding Principal at DBornsteinSolutions, LLC, which operates at the unique intersection of fitness, health, and national security. Dr. Bornstein has over 20 years of experience as a researcher, professor, and industry leader. He served as a tenured faculty member and administrator at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, from 2012-2021. Dr. Bornstein arrived at The Citadel in 2012 after completing his Ph.D. in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina. Prior to earning his Ph.D., he founded and was C.E.O. of two fitness companies based in Tucson, AZ, which focused on individual-level, holistic fitness and health for a wide variety of clients including elite sport and military athletes. However, for the past fourteen years, his work has been focused on effective strategies for increasing population levels of physical activity in order to improve the fitness, health, and security of the nation. At The Citadel, Dr. Bornstein was the Founding Director of the Center for Performance, Readiness, Resiliency, and Recovery (CPR3). The CPR3 was the realization of Dr. Bornstein's vision to establish a multidisciplinary, collaborative center with academic, research, and community engagement programs, all focused on improving the holistic fitness and health of service members, veterans, first responders, and members of the community. As the CPR3 Director and an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, Dr. Bornstein led the development and implementation of the World’s first undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the sub-specialty of tactical strength and conditioning. Dr. Bornstein actively publishes in leading scientific journals and presents regularly at national and international scientific conferences. His research has been featured in over 130 media outlets worldwide, including USA Today, Newsweek, Stars and Stripes, and National Public Radio and his co-edited book Physical Activity and Public Health Practice has been widely adopted in undergraduate and graduate programs. Based on his research and experience, Dr. Bornstein has provided numerous briefings to senior military personnel and lawmakers, including briefings at The Pentagon and Capitol Hill. Dr. Bornstein holds and has held several national leadership positions. Currently, he is Chair of the Military Sector for the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan. Previously, he was Project Coordinator for the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan, and Chair of the American Public Health Association’s Physical Activity Section. Dr. Bornstein has also served on several national committees including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Committee on Physical Activity Communications, and the American Heart Association’s Expert Advisory Group on Physical Education and Physical Activity Policy in Schools.

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  • #1292
    September 29 · 2 hr 11 min

    Jake Harriman (Recon Marines, Empowering African Farmers and Rebuilding America's Communities) - Episode 1292

    As a Force Recon Marine, Jake Harriman fought terrorists overseas. As the founder of Nuru International, he battled extreme poverty in Africa. Now he's taking on his biggest mission yet. Harriman is founder and chairman of The Brickyard, a national nonprofit that is part of the growing movement to heal our divided nation and forge a better future. In Rescuing the Idea of America, Harriman shares both his inspiring personal story and a five-step code—believe, serve, connect, lead, and restore—for healing our country's divisions and becoming a nation that stands for the freedom of lasting, meaningful choices for all. Jake graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy and served seven and a half years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Platoon Commander in both the Infantry and Force Recon. Following his service, Jake enrolled at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. While at Stanford, he founded Nuru International to eradicate extreme poverty in the world’s most unstable, vulnerable regions to help end violent extremism. Jake played a vital role in drafting, introducing, and passing groundbreaking new legislation called the Global Fragility Act of 2019 that equips America with new authorities and resources to prevent conflict and stabilize some of the most fragile regions of the world. Jake is the Founder and President of The Brickyard, a nonprofit civic organization that aims to unite the country and strengthen our communities through social connection, service, and civic engagement. The Brickyard is a national civic and service organization that brings people together locally — across differences — to build trust, community, and leadership through action. Brickyards are local chapters led by Veterans and service-minded leaders, hosting social gatherings, service events, and civic connection. Each Brickyard brings together people from different backgrounds to serve their communities, build relationships, and strengthen local civic life. https://thebrickyard.us/

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  • #1291
    September 27 · 2 hr 11 min

    Michael Perry (The Power of Storytelling, Volunteer Firefighting and Healing through Mentorship) - Episode 1291

    Michael Perry is a New York Times bestselling author, humorist, corporate speaker, volunteer firefighter/first responder, and amateur snowplow driver. A lifelong resident of the rural Midwest, his “reflective roughneck” takes on life in Middle America have left hundreds of thousands of readers and live audiences laughing, nodding, and sometimes misty. The author of over 25 books including Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Forty Acres Deep, and Peaceful Persistence. Perry’s latest title is Improbable Mentors & Happy Tangents: How firefighters and poets, truckers and nurses, soldiers and singers, and other improbable individuals can show you the way in business and creativity. Perry, a registered nurse who put himself through college working as a Wyoming cowboy and a roller-skating Snoopy produces the popular audio newsletter “Michael Perry’s Voice Mail,” performs widely as a humorist and speaker, tours with his band The Long Beds, works as a script writer, voiceover artist and audiobook narrator, and still makes an occasional call with the local volunteer fire and rescue service. “I grew up on the wooden end of a pitchfork,” says Perry, “so no matter what I’m doing it’s my experience as a Wisconsin farm boy and a Wyoming ranch hand that informs my approach. And none of it—whether it’s a television documentary, a song, or a book—happens unless I sit down and write. Fortunately, writing is my favorite thing, and I’m grateful for the improbable mentors and happy tangents that delivered me to this place.” https://sneezingcow.com/

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  • September 26 · 2 hr 27 min

    Sebastien Lavoie (Special Operations in Law Enforcement, Jiujitsu and First Responder Fitness) - Episode 354

    Sgt Maj Sebastien Lavoie is a commanding officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, use of force expert and elite tactical athlete. We discuss his journey into policing, martial arts in law enforcement, the importance of physical training, deescalation, realism in training, hiring practices, psychology and so much more. Sergeant Major Sebastien Lavoie joined the RCMP in 2000. After completing training, he was posted to Tofino Detachment on Vancouver Island, where he became engaged in community and indigenous policing. Displaying a keen interest in Use of Force training; he quickly became the local Use of Force Subject Matter Expert conducting all mandatory training and organizing extra training for the West Coast's members. Volunteering for the Canadian Air Carrier Protective Program (CACPP) following the attacks of 9/11, he reported to the Vancouver CACPP office where he would travel the world, assist in developing International Deployment Procedures, and eventually be appointed as the acting training NCO. In 2007, Sergeant Major Lavoie joined the full time Lower Mainland District Emergency Response Team (ERT) where he specialized as a "Breacher". He was promoted to Corporal in 2012 and had the privilege to lead his team through Lower Mainland ERT's heavy operational tempo. In 2017, he was appointed as the Team Leader for Blue Team where he trained, developed, enabled, supported, and lead a team of 22 operators through the team's daily activities. He would spend the last two years of his term as a Tactical Liaison Officer. Sergeant Major Lavoie focused on fostering and maintaining a positive work environment prioritizing member wellness, leadership, operational readiness, and succession planning. Sergeant Major Lavoie was appointed as the E Division Sergeant Major on February 13, 2019. His primary function is to advise the Commanding Officer and to be a conduit between all of E Division's employees and the Commanding Officer.

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