Straight Outta Combat Radio-Honoring Combat Wisdom

SOCRS125- Don Mann- "Duty, Honor, Country & Close Calls"

Our guest for this episode of Straight Outta Combat Radio (Radio-Medicine by GreenZone Hero) is former Navy Seal Team SIX Commando, World-Class Adventure Competitor, and New York Times Best Selling Author, Mr. Don Mann.

Don’s military biography is impressive-he’s a decorated combat veteran; Corpsman; SEAL Special Operations Technician; jungle, desert, and arctic-survival instructor; small arms weapons instructor; foreign arms weapons instructor, armed and unarmed defense tactics, advanced hand-to-hand combat instructor; and Survival, Evade, Resistance, and Escape Instructor; in addition to other credentials.

He is the author of 20 books including the New York Times Best Selling autobiography “Inside SEAL Team SIX: My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors.”  The members of SEAL Team Six are synonymous with heroism, duty, and justice. These are the same elite warriors who assassinated Osama bin Laden. As a member of this elite team of warriors, Don worked in countless dangerous operations around the world to include Somalia, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He was even captured by the enemy once and lived to tell the tale.

To become a SEAL, Don had to overcome his own troubled childhood and push his body to its breaking point and beyond. Don’s narrative is all about physical and mental toughness. He has over 40 years (1,000+ races) worth of competitive racing experience; and was once ranked 38^th in the world as a triathlete.

Mann received a Master’s in Management from Troy State University, in Troy, AL, a B.S. in International Relations & Criminal Justice, from Florida State University, in Tallahassee, FL, and a B.S. in Liberal Science, from State University of New York. He lives in Cape Charles, VA.

Navy Seal Team SIX Commando, World-Class Adventure Competitor, and New York Times Best Selling Author, Mr. Don Mann.

Don’s military biography is impressive-he’s a decorated combat veteran; Corpsman; SEAL Special Operations Technician; jungle, desert, and arctic-survival instructor; small arms weapons instructor; foreign arms weapons instructor, armed and unarmed defense tactics, advanced hand-to-hand combat instructor; and Survival, Evade, Resistance, and Escape Instructor; in addition to other credentials.

He is the author of 11 books including the New York Times Best Selling autobiography “Inside SEAL Team SIX: My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors.”  The members of SEAL Team Six are synonymous with heroism, duty, and justice. These are the same elite warriors who assassinated Osama bin Laden. As a member of this elite team of warriors, Don worked in countless dangerous operations around the world to include Somalia, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He was even captured by the enemy once and lived to tell the tale.

To become a SEAL, Don had to overcome his own troubled childhood and push his body to its breaking point and beyond. Don’s narrative is all about physical and mental toughness. He has over 40 years (1,000+ races) worth of competitive racing experience; and was once ranked 38^th in the world as a triathlete.

Mann received a Master’s in Management from Troy State University, in Troy, AL, a B.S. in International Relations & Criminal Justice, from Florida State University, in Tallahassee, FL, and a B.S. in Liberal Science, from State University of New York. He lives in Cape Charles, VA.

SOCRS0124- Jesse Gould- "Heroic Hearts Project: Leading the Way in the Fight Against PTSD"

Jesse Gould is Founder and President of the Heroic Hearts Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pioneering psychedelic therapies for military veterans. After being deployed in Afghanistan three times, he founded the Heroic Hearts Project in 2017 to spearhead the acceptance and use of ayahuasca therapy as a means of addressing the current mental health crisis among veterans.

The Heroic Hearts Project has raised over $150,000 in scholarships from donors including Dr. Bronner’s and partnered with the world’s leading ayahuasca treatment centers, as well as sponsoring psychiatric applications with the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Georgia.

Jesse helps shape treatment programs and spreads awareness of plant medicine as a therapeutic method. He has spoken globally about psychedelics and mental health, and received accolades including being recognized as one of the Social Entrepreneurs To Watch For In 2020 by Cause Artist. Driven by a mission to help military veterans struggling with mental trauma, he is best known for his own inspiring battle with PTSD and his recovery through ayahuasca therapy. 

Jesse’s work can be seen and heard at NY Times, Breaking Convention, San Francisco Psychedelic Liberty Summit, People of Purchase, The Freq, Psychedelics Today Podcast, Kyle Kingsbury Podcast, Cause Artist, WAMU 88.5 and The GrowthOp. 

SOCRS123- Ben Killoy- "The Fatherhood Sensei"

Ben Killoy is a Husband, Father, and Marine Veteran living in Milton, WI with my beautiful wife and kids.  

He was an 1142 Electrical Equipment Repair Specialist in the Marine Corp (aka Generator Mechanic), served from 2003-2007, mostly in Okinawa. While there, he traveled to South Korea four times and stared down the North Korean in the DMZ. He also visited Australia, and wrapped up my time in the Corps with a trip to historical Iwo Jima.

Ben was employed shortly after leaving the service, but was still not connected to his inner passion: leadership. He wandered without a clear path to follow.  It was only after he went to a seminar that changed everything and reignited his passion for Leadership. 

Since then, Ben has been on a 4-year journey to master leadership principles and to understand his true capabilities to own his life and the choices he was making. When he left the Marines, he felt that he was not going to reach his full potential while serving and that it was going to hold him back. "That sounds funny saying it out loud as it not a reason most people give, but that was where my mindset was," says Ben.

Currently, Ben uses his passion for leadership to help Military Veteran Dads understand who they are, develop the skills to overcome adversity and own their life and choices. He helps dads come home to their families and make the strongest legacy any of us can have, our families.

Ben loves leadership because it allows him "to reach down and pull people up when others might have pushed them down."

SOCRS122- Ryan Mathews- "The Canine Element: Bonding Dogs & Humans"

Our guest for this episode of Straight Outta Combat radio (Audi-Medicine by GreenZone Hero) is US Army veteran and serious dog-training expert and sage, Mr. Ryan Matthews. I actually met Ryan a few weeks ago at the Podfest Multimedia Expo in Orlando. We were on the same discussion panel…and let me tell you, Ryan has a serious positive mojo going on.

Ryan has been training dogs since 2002. He began his career in dog training with training and handling elite Military Workins Dogs (a.k.a. MWDs). While in the Army, he performed bite protection training, bomb threat sweeps, secret service missions, and combat deployment to Iraq (with his MWD, Zito) where he worked with Special Forces and Infantry units.

After transitioning, Ryan Founded and is the Head Dog Trainer of the ‘World of Dog Training’.  Ryan takes a personalized approach with every sing dog he trains. He’s all heart and then some. He’s working on projects to incorporate some of his canine-training techniques into the corporate human world.

SOCRS121- Jon Macaskill- "Veteran's PATH: Forging Higher Consciousness Trails"

UPDATE: Jon Macaskill has RETIRED! We thank him for his commitment to America, professionalism, and sincere willingness to move into the civilian sector to help others. Keep going Jon!

Jon Macaskill is a soon to be retiring Navy SEAL Commander transitioning to the private sector in August.  Jon has served as both an enlisted sailor and as a commissioned officer. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2001 and went straight to SEAL Training known as BUD/S (pronounced “buds”). He has served in various roles in the SEAL Teams and been deployed multiple times primarily to the Middle East.  

However, now, as he looks toward military retirement, he is working as a mindfulness teacher and serves as the Deputy Executive Director for Veteran’s PATH, a nonprofit working to educate veterans and transitioning service members about the life changing and life-saving practices of meditation and mindfulness.  Jon is married with two young children and lives in Virginia but will be moving to Colorado this summer. 

SOCRS120- Wyly Gray- "Veterans of War: Changing the Narrative & Saving Lives"

WYLY GRAY

FOUNDING DIRECTOR, VETERANS of WAR

Wyly is a United States Marine, public speaker, the Founding Director of Veterans of War, and is deeply committed to changing the existing veteran narrative regarding service, transition, and veteran suicide. Wyly has survived a broken family, foster care, two deployments in support of the War on Terror, and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS).

Through his work with Veterans of War, he experienced firsthand the strength of guided ayahuasca therapy in battles against treatment-resistant trauma, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTS. Thanks to ayahuasca, Wyly overcame suicidal thoughts and ideations, finally found sleep again, and cemented his purpose in this life to bring safe and effective tools for recovery for those suffering from the treatment-resistant after-effects of war. Wyly passionately believes that entheogenic plants and fungi offer a unique path towards healing from trauma, and he is part of ballot initiatives advocating for their decriminalization in the United States.

Wyly strongly supports the guided use of entheogens to overcome trauma.

SOCRS119- Tim Colomer- "Creating Successful Visions"

Tim joined the Marine Corps in 1993 when he was 17. His father was a retired police officer and his mother was a stay at home mom who raised three boys. His first job in the Marine Corps was aviation ordnance; he assembled bombs, missiles, and rockets. By the time he reached Corporal (E-4), he was an instructor at the 'Schoolhouse.' Upon reenlistment, he made the move to join Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD-bomb squad).

The selection process for this job specialty remains rigorous; it is still the only MOS in the Marine Corps that is strictly voluntary, you can quit at any time. EOD school lasts nearly 2 years. Tim was in school when 9/11 occurred waiting on his security clearance to clear.  Receiving his clearance, he was assigned to The Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF). While in training there, he was stationed with his younger brother who was also a Marine. His very first mission was to decontaminate Anthrax from a Senator's office, definitely not what he had expected as an EOD specialist.

Mr. Colomer was deployed to Iraq in 2006 to support Multinational Forces West. He was the SNCOIC of a small FOB. They had two EOD teams that responded to any situation around the clock. An average day consisted of 10-15 improvised explosive devices, car bombs, booby trapped buildings, and unexploded ordnance. They destroyed tons of enemy weapons and explosive stashes. Tim states, "We worked our asses off, but it felt good that we were keeping our brothers safe."

On December 11, 2006, Tim was blown up while in route to an enemy weapons stash. It was was one of the most intense days of his life – it changing him, and his team team forever. He left the Marine Corps in 2007 and started his life as a civilian.

As a government contractor, he trained EOD Technicians for almost 7 years. He became a Program Manager for the USMC EOD field and served nearly 2 years at the FBI Explosives United in Quantico, Virginia. When he finished graduate school at the George Washington University, Tim decided to try corporate America. He was recruited to be a Global Explosive Safety Officer for Halliburton Oil. When the oil market crashed, he purchased a franchise that he helped to expand to 8 locations across the US. They had 100 employees, a reality show, and embarked on a heavy Veteran-focused mission only to have his primary investor walk away. This left him to have managerial control over the managers at each location.  This experience gave him valuable skill sets which he has taken to the next stage of his life.

Currently, Tim is helping businesses grow by implementing some time-tested business tools, called the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).  His company, Colomer Advisories, is helping corporate leaders and their teams find visionary and business success in today's fast-paced, technological business world. 

SOCRS118- Kevin Connelly- "Why Not Made in America?"

Vietnam veteran Kevin Connelly graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration in marketing from the University of Notre Dame in 1962 and immediately launched a 28-year career in the United States Army.

Kevin joined the military after being commissioned as an Armor Officer from an ROTC Program. Fresh out of college, his first assignment was in Germany, where he served as a Tank Platoon leader, an Armored Cavalry Platoon leader and S-3Air for the First Battalion, 35^th Armor, 4th Armored Division.

In 1965, Kevin volunteered to join the Vietnam War efforts. He underwent special operations training and learned to speak Vietnamese at The Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. From there, he served on a five-man advisory team to train South Vietnamese counterparts in combat in Mekong Delta. His team averaged over 150 combat missions during his tour in Vietnam. He was awarded a Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his service. Kevin remained in the U.S. Army Reserves, serving in several assignments including the Pentagon that culminated to his ultimate retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel.

 Following his active duty in Vietnam, Kevin joined the U.S. Department of State’s Agency for International Development as an Area Development Director for the Go Cong Province of Vietnam. In that role, he was responsible for economic development efforts, including road and school construction and agricultural programs. He received several awards for this service.

In 1981, Kevin was appointed the Administrative Director for Suffolk County’s Industrial Development Agency. In this role, he helped issue more than $500 million Industrial Revenue Bonds to assist hundreds of growing companies. This resulted in the creation and retention of more than 30,000 jobs in the New York county.

 

“One of the rules that military officers live by is the responsibility to accomplish the mission and take care of your people. At Apollo Sunguard, we take care of our customers. Every product we sell is backed by a team of professionals who care about your total satisfaction.”

             – Kevin Connelly

Kevin decided to relocate to Florida after entering Florida waters in his 43-foot fishing boat. He had traveled from New York.

In 1997, Kevin founded Apollo Sunguard, which became one of the country’s leading shade solution providers. Apollo Sunguard is the only Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business shade manufacturer in the United States.

Since he founded the company, Apollo Sunguard has received numerous awards for its state-of-the-art technology, including a small business award from NASA’s Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program. Apollo Sunguard also is the first manufacturer to receive a prestigious Gold Triangle from the American Academy of Dermatology for shade structures on playgrounds. Kevin continues to bring new economic opportunities to Apollo Sunguard, including the addition of EV charging stations and solar-powered Sunguard Solar Structures™.

Kevin remains active within the business community and supporting veterans. He was president of the Sarasota-Manatee Manufacturers Association for five years and remains on the Board of Directors. He also is a member of the Board of Directors for the Sarasota Veterans Commission and a member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Veterans for Common Sense.

SOCRS117- "Freedom Matters 6- "What Does Freedom Mean to You?"

We posed the very important question: "Whats Does Freedom Mean To You?"

A compilation of answers from our fellow veterans Lane Belone, Michael Hartford, Robert Garcia, Isaac Belden, Ethan Samuels, Scott Kinder, and Fazel Rahim Kaihan.  

May God Bless America and all of you for your commitment, loyalty & sacrifices in the Support of Freedom!

SOCRS116 "Freedom Matters 5: What Does FREEDOM Mean To You?"

We posed the very important question: "Whats Does Freedom Mean To You?"

A compilation of answers from our fellow veterans Ben Knisely, Shawn Rhodes, Bob & Melissa Sebastian, Osee Fagan, Lani Hankins, Boone Cutler, Darrell Hernanadez, Stephen Colon, Annette Whittenberger and Anthony Maggert.  

May God Bless America and all of you for your commitment, loyalty & sacrifices in the Support of Freedom!