Beyond The Beret

Leaving the Green Berets: My Med Board, 3 Surgeries, and Losing Who I Was

A former Green Beret and his wife sit down to talk about the part of military life nobody puts on a recruiting poster: getting out. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ go deep on Spencer's transition from Special Forces to civilian life — the Med Board process, three major surgeries (ankle, SI joint fusion, hip), losing 45 pounds bedridden, the identity crisis of "who am I now," and the mental framework that pulled him through: one day at a time. This isn't another war story podcast. Spencer skips the kill stories and Afghanistan highlight reels other veterans lean on, and instead goes deep on what most operators won't talk about: fighting Army PAs and physical therapists to get a real diagnosis, learning to advocate for your own medical care, navigating military retirement at 26, walking through a 3.5-year custody battle, and rebuilding a life and identity after the only career he'd ever known was gone. MJ brings the spouse's side of the story — what it looks like from the home front when your husband is medically retiring, in pain, and figuring out who he is again. If you're a veteran transitioning out, a military spouse, a service member staring down a Med Board, a first responder leaving the badge, an athlete walking away from the sport, or anyone who has poured years into something and is now asking "what comes next" — this episode is for you. Topics covered: * Special Forces medical retirement and the Med Board process * SI joint fusion, hip surgery, and ankle surgery recovery * Advocating for yourself in military healthcare * Identity loss after leaving the military * The "one day at a time" mindset for hard transitions * Setting down the backpack: letting go of your old chapter * Custody battles, fatherhood, and starting over * Becoming an ultramarathon runner during recovery * Marriage through medical retirement and transition * Mental health and choosing to move forward Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

Special Forces Afghanistan 2020 - Peace Deal Signed, Taliban Take Over, Covid Lockdown in Combat

In this episode Spencer talks about some key moments from his deployment to Afghanistan that changed his life forever.

#01 Spencer Lewis - Before The Green Beret

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. These are just some of the stories Spencer wanted to share about the early stages of his life before getting into the military. Every single mistake he made, he learned from it and wants to share those lessons learned in the podcast series.