From Dodgeville to Afghanistan | IED Hits, PTSD, and Coming Home | Ep. 43

“My Life Paused for a Year After Iraq” EP45 | Joe

Joe deployed to Ramadi, Iraq in 2007 as a young Marine and spent the next year living in survival mode during one of the most volatile periods of the war. In this episode, he talks about working alongside Iraqi locals during the Anbar Awakening, coming home after deployment, losing the military support system overnight, and trying to reconnect with life back home. The conversation also dives into childhood trauma, breaking destructive cycles, marriage, fatherhood, faith, emotional suppression, and what healing actually looks like years after war. This episode is not just about combat. It’s about what happens after. You can order my book, now available on Amazon: Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton Follow the mission: YouTube – Echoes Unfiltered Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

You Come Home… But Part of You Stays There.” | Afghanistan Veteran Mike | EP44

Mike joins Echoes Unfiltered for a raw conversation about Afghanistan, military life, brotherhood, dark humor, and the things veterans carry long after they come home. No scripts. No filters. Just real conversation about war, identity, memories, and life after service. Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

From Dodgeville to Afghanistan | IED Hits, PTSD, and Coming Home | Ep. 43

Josh Elarde deployed to Afghanistan with the Dodgeville unit as part of a route clearance team. He shares his experience with IED strikes, the constant threat of ambush, and how that mindset followed him home. We talk about PTSD, adjusting to life after deployment, and the challenge of leaving the military mindset behind when it comes to family and everyday life. You can order my book, now available on Amazon: Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton Follow the mission: YouTube – Echoes Unfiltered Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio Raw faith. Stay unfiltered.

37 Years of War | From Desert Storm to Iraq & Afghanistan | Ep. 41

Episode 41 drops with Roy Wylie — a veteran who served 37 years between the Army and Department of the Army civilian service. From Desert Storm to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Roy saw the evolution of war firsthand. Soft-skin convoys, IED threats, convoy security, and the shift from early war chaos to heavily armored operations. But the real story isn’t just the deployments. It’s what came after. Multiple marriages lost. Years of PTSD. 24 pills a day just to function. And eventually… walking away from it all to rebuild his life on the other side of the world. This is what service really costs. This is what healing actually looks like. You can order my book, now available on Amazon: Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton Follow the mission: YouTube – Echoes Unfiltered Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered.

Mac Part 2 | Leadership, Family, and Walking Away at 20 | Echoes Unfiltered Ep. 41

Mac is back for Part 2. We finish what got cut short during the tornado warning and go deeper into the realities behind the uniform. We talk about Billmeyer and the lasting impact of his injuries, the weight of leadership, and what it really looks like to take care of your people. We also get into something most don’t talk about enough. Knowing when it’s time to step away. Mac is retiring at 20, not because he has to, but because he refuses to miss raising his kids. That decision says more about a man than any rank ever will. This is what leadership looks like after the uniform. Mac, I’ve got a lot of respect for you. Proud of the man you’ve become. You can order my book, now available on Amazon: Echoes from the Sandbox by Samuel R. Stratton Follow the mission: YouTube – Echoes Unfiltered Spotify – Echoes Unfiltered Facebook – Echoes Unfiltered TikTok – @echoes_unfiltered Podcast available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio Real talk, raw faith, stay unfiltered. #echoesunfiltered