Afghanistan 2020: The Peace Deal, COVID in Combat, and Watching It All Fall Apart | Ep 2

Losing Your Identity After the Military (And How to Build a New One) | Ep. 9

This episode of Beyond The Beret started with a listener email asking exactly that: how do you find your identity and purpose after leaving the military? Former Green Beret Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ break it down without sugar coating it. Spencer goes back to the first time he lost himself — when high school sports ended and he turned to drugs and partying — and traces it all the way through his medical retirement from Special Forces, the years it took to set the old rucksack down, and the identity he's built since: husband, father, Christian, coach, founder. The hard truth Spencer keeps coming back to: nobody is coming to save you. No one is going to hand you purpose, structure, or a new chapter. You have to build it yourself, one day at a time, starting from wherever you are right now. If you're medically retiring, getting close to your ETS date, recently out and feeling lost, a military spouse watching your partner struggle through this, or anyone facing a major life transition where the thing that used to define you is gone — this episode is for you. Topics covered: * Why identity loss hits harder after the military than almost any other transition * The parallel between leaving sports and leaving the service * The "rucksack" you have to set down to move forward * Why the military's structure is something you can keep (and should) * Getting bitter at the organization vs. still loving the job * What no one tells you about the exit process * Why nobody is coming to save you — and why that's actually good news * How Spencer rebuilt purpose through Alpha Country, coaching, and helping others * The difference between chasing what you want and helping others get what they want * Practical advice for guys who feel completely lost right now Next episode (Ep. 10): The origin story of Alpha Country — how Spencer turned post-military purpose into a brand. Drop your questions in the comments and we'll answer them on the next one. Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

What Ranger School Is Actually Like (From a Green Beret Who Recycled) | Ep. 8

Ranger School is the most asked-about school in the U.S. Army, and most of the content out there is either polished recruiter talk or guys who went straight through and skipped the hard parts of the story. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, former Green Beret Spencer Lewis sits down with his wife MJ for a full, unfiltered breakdown of what Ranger School is actually like — from a guy who got pre-Ranger honor grad, recycled mountain phase, found out about his ex-wife's miscarriage between phases, and still walked out with the tab. Spencer covers all three phases (Darby, Mountains, Florida), the pre-Ranger course at 82nd Airborne, the 12-mile ruck that smoked the whole class, what platoon tactics actually look like at the squad and platoon level, how you really get graded, what the food and sleep cycle does to you (one MRE at 5 a.m., another at 2 a.m., repeat), peer evaluations, the truth about recycling, and the moment he knew he'd recycled mountains before the mission even ended. He also breaks down the mindset shift between his first and second look at mountain phase — and why trying to be everybody's friend doesn't get you a Ranger tab. If you're getting ready for Ranger School, just got your slot, recycled and trying to come back, or you're an NCO trying to prep your guys — this episode is for you. Topics covered: * Pre-Ranger course at 82nd Airborne (and why it was harder than first phase) * All three phases: Darby, Mountains, Florida * What a typical day looks like (5 a.m. MRE, planning, patrols, 2 a.m. dinner) * The 12-mile ruck and what really cuts the class down * Land nav and the golden compass award * Platoon-level tactics vs. squad-level tactics * Getting recycled in mountain phase and what the 10-day reset looks like * Peer evaluations and integrity violations * Sleep deprivation and food deprivation * Why Ranger School is a leadership course, not a tactics course * The mindset shift between first and second look * Why every combat arms soldier should be chasing the tab Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

Obsession Is the Only Thing That Wins | Ep. 7

Why do some people get average results while others dominate everything they touch? Everyone wants to call it discipline, motivation, consistency, or talent. Former Green Beret Spencer Lewis says all of those are downstream of one thing: obsession. In this solo episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer breaks down the trait he's seen behind every elite athlete, special operator, and successful entrepreneur he's ever met — and the reason most people who say they want success will never get it. Everybody wants the result. Almost nobody wants the lifestyle. Spencer pulls from his own experience chasing the Ranger tab, earning the Green Beret, completing a 100-mile ultramarathon, and building a million-dollar business through divorce, custody battles, and everything else life threw at him. He gets real about what obsession actually looks like — not the highlight reel, but the monotonous early mornings, the lonely two-hour training sessions, the friends you lose, and the weddings you miss. And why being okay with all of that is the price of admission. If you're chasing a Ranger tab, a pro card, your first marathon, a 200-mile ultra, a business goal, or anything that demands more than the average person is willing to give — this episode is for you. Topics covered: * Why obsession is the real driver behind discipline and consistency * The lifestyle behind the result nobody wants to talk about * The sacrifices required to win at anything that matters * Why obsession is lonely and how to be okay with it * Losing friends when you level up * Training, business, and family through obsession * Why there is no Plan B * How obsession compounds across every area of your life Hosted by Spencer Lewis — Former Green Beret, Father, Husband, Founder of Alpha Country. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

Developing Discipline From Motivation | Ep 6

In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer and MJ dig into a topic suggested by Melissa after her visit: the real difference between motivation and discipline, and why most people get this wrong. Spencer's take is that motivation isn't bad, it's just an emotional state you can fall into when you're around the right people, the right examples, or in the right environment. The problem is when motivation is the only thing carrying you. Discipline is what gets built when you keep doing the work the same way you did when you were fired up, on the days you're not. They cover what this looks like across different chapters of life: the dudes who said they'd go to Ranger School or selection after seeing Spencer come back and never did, the people who say they're going to run 100 miles next year and don't sign up, what changes inside a bodybuilding prep when the new wears off in the middle, and why your "why" doesn't have to be deep or noble to be valid. Wanting to look good, feel good, or just be a better example for your kids is a real reason. Other ground covered: the 80/20 rule Spencer lives by so he doesn't beat himself up on bad days, why quitting one thing makes the next quit easier, how the long military pipelines reshaped his relationship with timelines and patience, the role of a dark side or a chip on your shoulder when motivation runs out, and what it actually takes to build what Spencer calls a bulletproof person. If you've ever struggled to stay on track through the middle of something hard, this one is for you. Mentioned: * thealphacountry.com * The Alpha Country app — training programs Spencer designed using the same methodology he used for Ranger School and SFAS * Leaders Circle coaching and the upcoming retreat If this episode hit, share it with someone who needs to hear it, leave a rating, and drop your questions in the comments for future episodes.

Cop, Soldier, Athlete: Malissa on the Border, the Badge, and Becoming a Runner | Ep 5

In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer sits down with longtime Alpha Country athlete and friend Melissa, who flew in from Chicago for the Memorial Day Murph. What started as a DM about a pair of shorts five years ago turned into one of the closest friendships in the brand's orbit — and this conversation goes everywhere. Melissa shares her full story: growing up on the South side of Chicago as the daughter of immigrants, water polo and swimming on scholarship through high school and college, a sorority chapter she wasn't expecting, and the road that eventually led her to enlist in the Army Reserves and join the Chicago Police Department as a fast-tracked recruit. Then she goes into the 14-month mobilization to the southern border in late 2024 — what she actually saw down there, why Border Patrol is more stretched than people realize, the reality of cartel scouts, rape trees, kids crossing alone with a phone number scribbled on them, and what it felt like to walk into a deployment as a reservist surrounded by combat-experienced soldiers. The back half of the episode shifts to her current chapter: leaving bodybuilding behind to learn how to be a runner. Spencer breaks down why he programs zone 2, bike work, and incline walks the way he does, and Melissa talks through the mental battle of her first long-distance race, her upcoming Chicago half and full marathon, and the Ironman on the horizon. Honest, unfiltered, and covers more ground than most people get to in a year of conversations. Find Melissa on Instagram and follow the journey. Mentioned: * thealphacountry.com * The Alpha Country app — training programs, including zone 2 and hybrid endurance work * Memorial Day Murph 2026 at Hard Work Strength & Performance Gym If this one hit, share it, rate the show, and drop questions in the comments for future episodes.