Urban Valor: the podcast

This Soldier Walked into One of the Most Disturbing IEDs of the Iraq War!

Before Dustin Chappel ever stepped onto the battlefield, he had already spent his childhood fighting to survive. Separated from his mother at just two years old, Dustin endured years of abuse, instability, homelessness, and constant moves before eventually dropping out of school and earning his GED. After witnessing the attacks of September 11th, he felt called to serve and joined the U.S. Army as a 12B Combat Engineer. During two deployments to Iraq, Dustin conducted route-clearance missions, hunted insurgents, executed raids alongside infantry units, and survived some of the most dangerous streets in Baghdad. He describes a deployment where every patrol felt like "Russian roulette," facing complex ambushes, sniper fire, RPGs, and one of the most disturbing traps of the entire war... a body rigged to explode. But this story doesn't end on the battlefield. Dustin opens up about the sniper round that was meant for him, dragging his wounded squad leader out of the line of fire, and the long road home — his fight with PTSD, checking himself into treatment, rebuilding his life, and the work he does today mentoring fellow veterans. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ CHAPTERS 0:00 The Baghdad alleyway ambush (cold open) 1:15 Meet Dustin Chappel — Staff Sergeant, US Army 1:30 A chaotic childhood: Alabama, California & family separation 4:47 Reunited with his mother, sent to Texas 9:24 Dropping out, Job Corps & earning his GED 11:28 Joining the National Guard 16:50 Why he enlisted: where he was on 9/11 18:42 First tour, Iraq 2003 — weapons caches & munitions 21:12 The gate lesson from the future Sergeant Major of the Army 23:33 Second tour 2006: "Russian roulette every single day" 26:11 The brutal IED training range in Kuwait 28:45 The combat plane dive into Baghdad 30:40 16 days in — the shot that was meant for him 32:30 Complex ambush & the M203 through the window 36:03 The alleyway rescue — shells down his squad leader's back 41:04 Sergeant Clary gets shot 44:53 Picking up bodies & the body-borne IED 47:42 The promotion board — making Staff Sergeant 51:16 The pillowcase hostage rescue 54:56 The taxi driver shot in the head 58:27 The 7-foot plywood rifle punishment 1:02:47 His brother in Iraq — the Apache pilot 1:05:58 Coming home & the hardest transition 1:06:46 College, and the flag speech that changed everything 1:09:36 Recognizing the PTSD symptoms 1:12:49 Checking himself into treatment 1:15:57 Meeting his wife & starting to heal 1:18:32 Helping veterans today at Grand Canyon University 1:20:18 Becoming a grandfather & his message to live for today ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ #VeteranStories #IraqWar #ArmyVeteran #CombatEngineer  DISCLAIMER: The views and experiences shared in this interview are those of the individual and are recounted from personal memory.

This Immigrant Soldier Fought Al Qaeda in One of Iraq's Most Vicious Battles!

Army Veteran Manny Pasillas Lucio shares the combat story that changed his life forever. Born in Mexico and raised in California, Manny grew up navigating family tension, poverty, and the streets of Compton before deciding to join the Army after 9/11. After basic training at Fort Benning, he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he became part of a Stryker infantry unit and later joined a scout sniper platoon. In this episode of Urban Valor, Manny opens up about his deployment to Iraq, including missions in Mosul, Baghdad, Taji, and Baqubah. He describes small team missions, hunting high-value targets, taking fire, encountering IEDs, working alongside other units, and the daily fear that came with operating outside the wire. Manny also shares the devastating moment his Stryker was hit by an IED while returning to base. He woke up choking on smoke, heard screams around him, and later discovered his teammate Billy Ferris didn't survive the blast. That moment stayed with him long after Iraq. After coming home, Manny struggled with PTSD, anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, family separation, and the painful reality of trying to become a father while still carrying the war inside him. He talks about pulling a gun on his mother after being startled awake, snapping at family members, feeling lost after the military, and eventually using education, therapy, fatherhood, and veteran advocacy to rebuild his life. Chapters 00:00 Waking Up After the IED Blast 01:25 Manny’s Childhood in Mexico 02:48 Coming to the United States 03:49 Growing Up in Compton 08:08 Learning Independence as a Kid 10:05 Wanting to Become a Soldier 10:50 How 9/11 Changed Everything 11:37 Trying to Join the Military 14:04 Watching the Iraq Invasion Begin 15:31 Leaving for Basic Training 16:23 Arriving at Fort Benning 18:44 Building Confidence in Basic Training 22:11 Getting Sent to a Stryker Unit 23:24 Joining 5-20 Infantry 26:23 Becoming an RTO 27:57 Learning From Hard NCOs 32:19 Being Offered West Point 32:58 Moving to Scout Sniper Platoon 36:24 Deploying to Iraq 37:22 Landing in Kuwait 38:39 Arriving in Mosul 40:17 Small Kill Team Missions 41:11 First IED Strike in Iraq 41:51 Hunting a High-Value Target 43:30 Walking Outside the Wire 44:51 Capturing the Target 46:25 Moving From Mosul to Baghdad 47:11 Searching for a Downed Pilot 47:52 Taking Another IED Hit 49:26 Billy Borrows Manny’s Blanket 51:09 Spotting an IED on the Road 53:28 The Stryker Gets Hit 54:16 Escaping the Crushed Vehicle 56:08 Searching for Billy 57:30 Evacuating the Wounded 58:47 Sergeant Pucket’s Words After the Blast 59:18 Returning to Base in Shock 1:01:15 The Loss of Billy Ferris 1:05:04 Billy’s Memorial 1:06:14 Back to Combat Operations 1:07:04 Working With CIA and Special Forces 1:08:29 Testifying in the Green Zone 1:11:05 Inside Saddam’s Palace 1:12:00 Arriving in Baqubah 1:13:19 Taking Fire From All Sides 1:14:47 Clearing the City 1:15:13 The Scariest Missions of His Life 1:17:20 Finding Iraqi Police With Mortars 1:19:14 Ambush and Firefight 1:20:38 Becoming Numb to Loss 1:22:10 Fighting Al Qaeda in Baqubah 1:23:34 Coming Home From Iraq 1:25:22 Almost Going to Ranger Battalion 1:26:02 Leaving the Army 1:27:10 PTSD Hits at Home 1:28:26 Snapping Around Family 1:30:07 His Family Didn’t Know What Was Happening 1:34:12 Struggling in the Reserves 1:36:19 Drinking, Trouble, and Feeling Invincible 1:37:29 A Bad Experience at the VA 1:40:42 His Daughter Saved His Life 1:42:49 Using the GI Bill 1:43:14 Studying Psychology to Understand PTSD 1:44:53 “I Am Not My Mistakes” 1:45:39 Breaking Cultural Cycles 1:46:35 Becoming a Better Father 1:47:20 Helping Veterans Today 1:49:10 Reconnecting With Family 1:51:20 Why Manny Puts Himself First Now 1:52:02 Talking Honestly With His Daughter 1:53:24 Advocating for Veterans and Families 1:54:34 Manny’s Message to Struggling Veterans

I Became a Marine After My Marine Father Killed a Gangster to Save His Kids

Marine Corps veteran Alex D’Hue served from 2002 to 2008 and was assigned to Third ANGLICO, where he worked in small fire control teams providing air support while attached to other units. In this episode of Urban Valor, Alex shares the story of his difficult childhood, growing up between America and Belgium, surviving an abusive household, and eventually joining the Marine Corps after 9/11. Alex opens up to Urban Valor about the chaos of Marine Corps boot camp, the moments that nearly broke him, and how getting assigned to Third ANGLICO changed the direction of his military career. He later deployed to Iraq, where his team supported missions outside the wire, worked alongside Iraqi forces and U.S. units, and experienced the reality of combat in a way he never forgot. One of the most intense moments of Alex’s deployment happened during a mission when his best friend Jackson took a sniper round to the helmet. Alex describes hearing “sniper fire,” seeing Jackson on the ground, dragging him back under cover, checking for blood, and realizing the helmet had stopped the round from going through. He also reflects on how the team’s movement afterward may have saved his own life. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Chapters:  00:00 Marine sees his best friend hit by sniper fire 01:13 Alex D’Hue’s Marine Corps background 01:32 Growing up in a broken home 04:58 Being sent to Belgium as a child 06:09 His grandfather’s World War II legacy 08:42 Child services visits the home 11:18 Growing up American in Belgium 13:37 Losing his grandmother to cancer 17:17 Returning to America at 13 19:41 His father’s murder trial 25:38 Reuniting with family in California 27:29 Abuse inside the household 30:16 Running away from home 31:07 Getting in trouble before joining the Marines 31:27 How 9/11 pushed him toward service 34:52 Arriving at Marine Corps boot camp 36:19 Chaos inside boot camp 38:42 Getting targeted by drill instructors 43:16 The brass casing incident 45:11 Fights and hazing in boot camp 49:08 The drill instructor who crossed the line 50:21 Joining Third ANGLICO 51:22 What ANGLICO Marines actually do 52:43 Getting NJP’d before his combat unit 59:02 Arriving at a combat unit 1:00:26 How ANGLICO deployments worked 1:09:35 Deploying to Iraq 1:10:22 First moments at Camp Ramadi 1:11:19 Working with Iraqi forces 1:15:10 The mission that turned deadly 1:15:58 “Sniper fire” 1:16:20 Jackson goes down 1:16:40 Dragging his best friend to cover 1:17:16 Checking the helmet and head wound 1:18:09 How the helmet saved Jackson 1:18:53 Trying to locate the sniper 1:20:21 Running in the sniper’s line of fire 1:23:27 Why Alex wanted Jackson medevaced 1:23:58 The zigzag that may have saved his life 1:24:57 Nearly falling while crossing open ground 1:26:10 What war does to brotherhood 1:27:24 Almost fighting an Army leader over a helmet strap 1:30:00 Reflections on deployment and Marine Corps culture #military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines

Special Operations Marine Tells Stories from Force Recon, Blackwater, and CIA!

Former Marine Force Recon veteran Kirk Spradely, call sign “Tadpole,” shares his powerful life story...from surviving a brutal childhood and orphanage violence, to becoming a Marine Force Recon operator, working for Blackwater in Iraq, serving in OGA special programs, flying Blackhawk and Apache helicopters, and later supporting the Kurdish military. In this episode of Urban Valor, Kirk opens up about the day his teammate Tommy Jenner was killed by an enemy sniper in Ramadi. Kirk says the sniper was likely Juba, one of the most feared enemy snipers in Iraq. He describes watching Tommy fall beside him, hearing his teammate yell “sniper, get down,” and realizing a follow-up round had just cracked over his head. Kirk also talks about Marine Force Recon training, combat diving, counter-narcotics operations, Blackwater convoy work, OGA special programs, the moment he met a Taliban-contracted assassin, flying medevac missions for wounded troops, and attempting to help build a Kurdish Air Force before the referendum fallout.  👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Chapters:  #military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines

This Soldier Tells the Most Insane Army Stories You’ll Ever Hear!

Army infantry veteran Tyler Hoover shares the truth about serving in the U.S. Army, going through airborne school, deploying to Iraq, surviving the constant threat of EFPs and IEDs, and trying to come home after war. Tyler opens up to Urban Valor about Army basic training, the culture shock of infantry life, Fort Bragg, the 82nd Airborne, Baghdad in 2008, convoy missions, lead truck gunner danger, post-deployment drinking, losing friends, and the reality of veteran reintegration after combat. Tyler talks about joining the Army after seeing the war on TV, signing an infantry contract, losing his Ranger contract, becoming airborne, getting sent to Iraq, and realizing that some days survival came down to nothing more than a left turn or a right turn. But the most powerful part of this story may not be Iraq itself. It’s what happened after. The alcohol. The car crashes. The murders. The friends who didn’t make it home emotionally, even when they physically made it back. Tyler’s story is a reminder that war does not always end when the deployment does. Chapters:  00:00 - Intro: Crazy Army Stories & Close Calls 01:26 - Growing Up in Pennsylvania & Virginia 02:21 - Playing in Bands & Learning Branding 02:45 - Growing Up as a Cop’s Son 05:04 - Why Tyler Decided to Join the Military 07:46 - Trying to Join the Marines 08:26 - Joining the Army Infantry 08:45 - Signing a Ranger Contract 09:47 - Arriving at Army Basic Training 10:51 - Finding Out He Was a Mortarman 12:37 - Culture Shock in the Army 17:09 - Drill Sergeants, Integrity & War Prep 21:58 - Army Airborne School 24:03 - Getting in Trouble With an Officer 25:50 - The Army Friends Who Never Made It 26:28 - Getting Sent to Fort Bragg 28:34 - Assigned to the Support Battalion 29:42 - Finally Getting Sent to the Line 30:23 - Deploying to Baghdad, Iraq 30:52 - EFPs, IEDs & Convoy Danger 31:58 - Life as the Lead Truck Gunner 34:37 - The Left Turn That Saved His Life 36:26 - Living Like Every Day Was Extra 37:19 - The Photo That Got Him in Trouble 39:58 - Coming Home From Iraq 40:42 - Losing Friends After Deployment 42:18 - Why Coming Home Is So Hard 43:35 - Drinking, DUI & Leaving the Army 51:14 - Becoming a Police Officer 51:57 - Working Night Shift in Orlando 52:27 - The Baby Not Breathing Call 57:05 - The McDonald’s SWAT Call 59:21 - The Adrenaline Crash After the Call 1:00:37 - Why Police Work Wasn’t Like the Military 1:02:06 - Getting Kicked Off SWAT 1:05:03 - The Clothing Line That Caused Problems 1:06:20 - Starting the Anti-Hero Podcast 1:08:11 - Turning the Podcast Into a Broadcast 1:09:07 - Building a Community for the 99% 1:10:23 - Why Regular Veterans Get Overlooked 1:12:01 - Smoke Pit Humor & Veteran Culture 1:18:07 - Lessons From Military & Police Work 1:19:02 - What the Anti-Hero Broadcast Is Today 1:20:25 - Final Thoughts on Regular Service Members