As a young man, Anthony Bongi had two choices: pursue acting and modeling in New York City or accept a last-minute opportunity to West Point. He chose West Point, and there he began a whirlwind military career that would see him booted from West Point, enlisted in Alaska, deployed as a member of the Air National Guard, and it only gets wilder from there.

Over a decade later, Anthony achieved his dream of being an infantry platoon leader in combat and, despite the twists and turns, he wouldn't have it any other way. From demerits at USMA to moose spotting in Alaska and from logistics in the Air Force to shopping malls in Poland - Anthony's career path was wild and unpredictable, but he never forgot about his childhood passion.

After some time out of uniform, Anthony headed out to LaLa Land to pursue acting and modeling. He approaches each opportunity as a military operation, and the results can speak for themselves.

In the Free Fire Area, Dan's love for pecan pie remains unsullied, and Roger is second-guessing some recent dietary changes.

Theme song by The Mountain via Pixabay.

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Founder and owner of Vestibular Training Services (VTS), Mrs. Sheila Thelen, joins us for this Tracer Burnout Quick Hit to tell us all about VTS and how she and her team are helping improve the lives of veterans, athletes, and everyday people.

She tells us all about the vestibular system, how the treatment affects everything from sleep to your sense of humor, and some of the future outlooks for medical possibilities in the vestibular field.

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After a failed college experiment, David Mueller wasn't happy with where he was in life, so he decided to enlist. Knowing full well there were two wars going on, David wound up as an infantryman in the 3rd Ranger Battalion and never looked back.

For the next 20 years, David threw himself into the profession of arms, deployed to combat zones numerous times, and faced every challenge head-on. From blistering training and multiple setbacks at Ranger School to working as a dog handler and broadening horizons at Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), David's experiences are as vast as they are varied.

Plus, frustrated lieutenants, motivational speeches, Australian culture, blotter reports, and so much more!

In the Free Fire Area, Dan and Roger wish they could be kids again and enjoy the little things.

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“When times get hard and people crumble, it shows you who they are.”

Army veteran, public speaker, and author, Mr. Greg Archbold, was headed down a rough path in life until a couple of veterans saw his potential and convinced him to enlist. The desire to improve his life led Greg to a career of more than three decades and from an enlisted medic to a Military Police officer.

He treated POWs during Operation Desert Storm, commanded the only US military prison in Europe, and spent nearly a decade in Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). From driving an ambulance in Georgia to parachute mishaps in Italy and from running his own Troop Medical Clinic to losing weapons in Afghanistan, Greg's story is as incredible as it is inspiring. Plus, rules for card games, beers with General McChrystal, a waiver for everything, and so much more!

Over those many years, Greg was constantly reminded, by word and deed, of the importance of good leadership. So much so that, after retirement, he wrote a book about it called Fail, Fight, Finish: Leadership Lessons You Don't Learn in the Classroom. He also is available for speaking engagements and leadership training.

In the Free Fire Area, the guys talk about some of their habits that other people might find odd, even freakish perhaps.

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In this Quick Hit, we chat with Army veteran, actress, nurse, and author, Ms. Mindy Dougherty. Mindy tells us about her book, A Dragon's Voice, helping children learn valuable life lessons as well as learning to read. She also tells us about some of her childhood struggles, why she's unsure of writing a follow-up, and how Dan and Roger may get involved in the audio version!

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“Know a vet? Tell a vet.”


Air Force veteran, Mr. Jim Lorraine, always knew he wanted to serve, but he didn't know exactly how until his mother told him to be a nurse. So that's what Jim did, and he's never looked back.


As a flight nurse, the Air Force took Jim all over the world: caretaker flights in Europe, combat zones in the Middle East and Africa, and renditions anywhere and everywhere! Jim's drive to serve saved lives, helped generations of veterans win the healthcare battle, established SOCOM's Care Coalition, and so much more.


He wasn't finished there, though, as he helped turn a small, regional, veteran support group into the massive network of veteran assistance called America's Warrior Partnership. Plus, tearing down the Berlin Wall, moonlighting in Tampa, charging jet fuel to a personal AmEx, and so much more!

In the Free Fire Area, we talk about some of the poor decisions we've made that have stuck with us no matter how much time goes by.

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In this episode, Navy veteran Tim Eliopoulos joins us in the virtual studio to tell us about his journey from college dropout to SWAT officer.

The Navy was the beginning of his journey, but certainly not the end, as Tim became a gym manager, a mortgage broker, a government contractor, and a campus cop - then made his way through the law enforcement ranks to achieve his dream of being on a SWAT team.

Not all of the decisions were easy and not all of them were right, but Tim was determined to leave a positive impact and he's well on his way.

In the Free Fire Area, Dan and Roger talk about a few subjects that are interesting to most people but we find boring and/or lame. A bit of celebrity gossip? A little space exploration?

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Marine Corps veteran, Mr. Joe "Bulldog" Adcox had a lot going on when he came to the studio for a quick chat! He just attended the annual gathering of Leathernecks Motorcycle Club, got married, and is in the middle of a road trip to get together with several Bulldog Essential Fitness (BEF) clients.

Our second returning guest, Joe tells us about his history with the Leathernecks, the charitable work they do for their communities, and how important they were in helping him transition from the Corps and into "The Wild". He also brings us up to date on the progress of BEF over the last year and his thoughts on mental health.

Theme song by EduardBykovets via Pixabay.

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