When a Dog Becomes a Lifeline: A Gulf War Veteran’s Incredible Recovery

NAMI Miami Mental Health Walk | In supporting of our community - South Florida

Walk for Mental Health Awareness. Fun for all at LoanDepot Park, Miami. Join us May 16, 2026, in the fight break the stigma and help others. Susan Holton, CEO of NAMI Miami, discusses the event's details, community involvement, and the importance of donations to support mental health initiatives. The dialogue emphasizes the collective effort needed to address mental health challenges and recognizes the unsung heroes in the community who contribute to this cause. About Vets And Badges Host: Robert Asencio is a retired police Captain, former Florida State Representative, US Army Veteran who served as a member of the Special Operations community with over 34 years of public service experience. Vets and Badges Podcast is an initiative of HEALING - a non-profit created to support veterans, first responder and community stakeholders. For more visit: https://www.kbcf.org/programs/healing-corp/ Info@VetsAndBadges.com www.VetsAndBadges.com VAB - 2026

When a Dog Becomes a Lifeline: A Gulf War Veteran’s Incredible Recovery

When a Dog Becomes a Lifeline: A Gulf War Veteran's Incredible Recovery — this is the true story of Allen Parton, a Royal Naval Officer who suffered a catastrophic traumatic brain injury during the 1991 Gulf War that left him unable to walk, speak, or even recognize his own wife and children — and how an unlikely Labrador named Endal gave him back his life, his love, and his reason to live. In this deeply personal conversation, Allen shares how the TBI stripped him of all four core human emotions — love, hate, happiness, and sadness — and pushed him to the edge of survival twice. Then a dog that was failing his own assistance training walked across a room and placed something in Alan’s lap. What happened next is one of the most remarkable stories of healing, devotion, and the bond between human and animal you will ever hear. Endal didn’t just assist Allen — he saved him from a hit-and-run accident, became his best man at his remarriage (with special permission from the Queen of England), and over 13 years, taught a man who had lost the ability to feel, how to love again. Allen Parton is now the founder of Hounds for Heroes, a UK charity providing assistance dogs to injured veterans and frontline responders — turning his personal miracle into a movement. 🐾 If you've ever witnessed or experienced the healing power of an animal, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Hosted by Robert Asencio — retired Police Captain, former Florida State Representative, US Army Veteran. 👩‍🔬 Co-hosted by Laura Spearium, Founder of Connecting Minds Miami. 🎖️ Guest: Allen Parton — Gulf War Veteran, TBI survivor, founder of Hounds for Heroes. 📌 Topics covered: veteran mental health • PTSD recovery • traumatic brain injury • service dog stories • military documentary • disability awareness • trauma recovery • Hounds for Heroes 🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 🔗 Learn more about Hounds for Heroes: https://www.houndsforheroes.com/about-us/our-history Chapters: 00:00 The Story That Changed Everything 01:20 Welcome: Hosts & Guest Introduction 02:15 27 Years in the Royal Navy — Then the Gulf War 03:17 The Injury: Losing Memory, Family & All Emotion 04:00 Rock Bottom: Two Suicide Attempts & Why He Survived04:49 The Chance Encounter: Meeting Endal 07:11 The Moment Alan Smiled for the First Time 07:23 Living with TBI: Groundhog Day, Every Day 09:23 How a Dog Taught a Man to Speak Again 11:07 "I Don't Know When Alan Ended and Endal Started" 12:07 Dogs on the Tarmac: Marines Crying Into a Dog's Neck 13:30 Endal Saves Allen’s Life: The Hit-and-Run Incident 14:03 The Victoria Cross: World's Most Decorated Dog 15:57 Remarried — With the Queen's Permission, Endal as Best Man 17:44 Endal Jr. & Endal III: The Legacy Continues 18:23 Hounds for Heroes: Turning His Miracle Into a Movement 20:19 The Power of Empathy Over Sympathy 21:19 Allen’s Message to Every Veteran Watching 22:10 Closing & Where to Find Vets and Badges Resources: About Allen Parton's story: "The Secret Life of Dogs" Clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8UfB02Uudg The Dog That Saved Our Marriage - Part 1 Of 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ8Anc5LRcc Part 2 of 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYyyr2G2H4o&t=1s Part 3 of 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZD5fpX9k94&t=1s Part 4 of 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SmfED0bp0c&t=2s Vets and Badges Podcast is an initiative of HEALING - a non-profit created to support veterans, first responder and community stakeholders. For more visit: https://www.kbcf.org/programs/healing-corp/ Info@VetsAndBadges.com https://www.VetsAndBadges.com VAB - 2026

The Dark Humor That Keeps Cops Alive — A Police Clinician’s Warning

What do police officers do after responding to a mass shooting? Sometimes... they go get dinner. And that's not callousness. That's survival. Certified mental health Clinician, City of Sweetwater Police Officer Milton Montes De Oca — retired Miami PD Commander, amd U.S. Army veteran — sits down with Robert Asencio to pull back the curtain on the "alpha male culture" inside law enforcement and the military, and what happens to the human brain when it's forced to normalize the abnormal — day after day, call after call. In this episode: 🔹 Why first responders use dark humor — and what it's really hiding 🔹 How chronic trauma rewires the brain (neuroplasticity & hypervigilance explained) 🔹 The real cost of "alpha male culture" on officer health and home life 🔹 Why identity crisis after retirement can be more dangerous than the job itself 🔹 Commander Montes de Oca's own journey through trauma, counseling, and cathartic breakthrough 🔹 How to find the RIGHT therapist if you're in law enforcement or the military If you've ever wondered why cops seem "numb" to things that would shatter a civilian — this is the episode that explains it. And more importantly, what to do about it. ⚠️ "We're not superhuman. We're just human beings asked to do superhuman things." — Cmdr. Milton Montes de Oca 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations with veterans, first responders, and the experts who understand them. Resources: Veterans Crisis Line: 988, Press 1 First Responder Support Network: https://www.firehouse.com/mental-health Safe Call Now (First Responders): 1-206-459-3020 📌 CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Normalizing the Abnormal: Coping Mechanisms in Law Enforcement 05:47 - The Impact of Trauma on Mental Health 11:59 - Identity Crisis: The Transition from Officer to Civilian 18:03 - Understanding PTSD and Its Symptoms 23:59 - The Importance of Seeking Help and Therapy 30:03 - Finding the Right Clinician: A Guide for First Responders #VeteranMentalHealth #FirstResponderMentalHealth #PolicePTSD #MilitaryPTSD #LawEnforcement #VetsAndBadges #FirstResponders #PTSD #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness About Vets And Badges Host: Robert Asencio is a retired police Captain, former Florida State Representative, US Army Veteran who served as a member of the Special Operations community with over 34 years of public service experience. Vets and Badges Podcast is an initiative of HEALING - a non-profit created to support veterans, first responder and community stakeholders. For more visit: https://www.kbcf.org/programs/healing-corp/ Info@VetsAndBadges.com www.VetsAndBadges.com VAB - 2026

He Told the Truth and The President Ended His Military Career | LTC Alexander Vindman

He survived an IED in Fallujah, served on the National Security Council, and told the truth to Congress. Then the President ended his career. - Followed by President Trump's impeachment. This is the true story of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman — one of the most decorated, most scrutinized, and most misunderstood veterans in modern American history. What happens when a soldier's greatest battle isn't on a battlefield — it's in a hearing room on Capitol Hill? LTC Alexander Vindman served 21 years in the United States Army. He earned a Purple Heart in the Iraq War after his patrol was struck by an IED in 2004. He survived. He kept serving. He rose to become Director of European Affairs on the National Security Council — one of the most trusted positions in American government. Then came the Ukraine call. When President Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Vindman was on that call. He did what every soldier is trained to do — he reported it through the proper chain of command. He testified before Congress under oath. He told the truth. Within days, he was escorted out of the White House. His promotion to Colonel — already approved — was blocked. His 21-year military career was over. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Robert Asencio sits down with LTC Vindman to hear the full story — from his family's escape from the Soviet Union as Jewish refugees in 1979, to his time in combat in the Middle East, to the moment he made the decision that would define his legacy. "Do the right thing and damn the consequences." This is a story about military sacrifice, moral courage, what it truly means to serve your country when the cost is everything, and resilience to charge forward. Chapters: 00:00 - A Journey of Service and Sacrifice 10:01 - From Refugees to Warriors: The Immigrant Experience 19:45 - Military Life: Lessons from Combat 29:52 - Navigating Conflict and Ethics in National Security About LTC Alexander Vindman: Alexander Vindman is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Purple Heart recipient, and Iraq War veteran. He served as Director of European Affairs for the National Security Council from 2018–2020. His testimony during the first impeachment of President Donald Trump made him a central figure in one of the most consequential moments in modern American political history. About Your Host: Robert Asencio is a retired Police Captain, former Florida State Representative, and U.S. Army Veteran with over 34 years of combined service. On Vets and Badges, he sits down with veterans, first responders, and leaders to bring you the real stories behind the uniform. 🎖️ Subscribe for more veteran stories, military sacrifice, and real conversations with those who served: https://www.youtube.com/@VetsAndBadges-fe7it 🔔 Turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. 📲 Follow Vets and Badges: https://vetsandbadges.com/ Vets and Badges Podcast is an initiative of HEALING - a non-profit created to support veterans, first responder and community stakeholders. For more visit: https://www.kbcf.org/programs/healing-corp/ Info@VetsAndBadges.com https://www.VetsAndBadges.com VAB - 2026

He Survived Ramadi. The War at Home Took Him. | A Gold Star Father Speaks

A heartfelt interview with Arthur Frederick Snow about his son U.S. Army SGT. Andrew Snow's military service, struggles with PTSD, and the healing journey through innovative treatments and community support. Our speaker shares a poignant veteran story, reflecting on the profound impact of military deployment to war and the changes observed in a loved one after serving. This account highlights the long-lasting effects of events like September 11 on service members and their families. It underscores the critical importance of addressing veteran mental health. Andrew survived Ramadi. He came home a different man. And his father watched it all — the PTSD, the TBI, the moral injury, the years of fighting a war no one could see. This is Arthur Snow's story. A Gold Star father. A witness. And a voice for every family that never got the answers they deserved. In this episode of Vets and Badges, host Robert Asencio — retired Police Captain and Army veteran — sits down with Arthur Frederick Snow, whose son Andrew served in Ramadi, Iraq, and came home carrying wounds that couldn't be seen on any X-ray. Arthur shares the brutal reality of loving a combat veteran through PTSD, traumatic brain injury, moral injury, and addiction — and what it means to lose a son not on the battlefield, but to the war that followed him home. This conversation is about more than grief. It's about the veteran mental health crisis hiding in plain sight, the failure of systems meant to protect our warriors, and the courage it takes for a family to speak the truth — even when it hurts. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Andrew Snow's Military Service 01:53 - Challenges of Returning Home and Mental Injuries 03:46 - The Struggles with PTSD and Suicide Attempts 06:11 - Innovative Treatments: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy 07:01 - Andre's Faith and Healing Trips to Israel 08:00 - Honoring Andrew at Arlington and Community Support 08:53 - Reflections on Service, Sacrifice, and Healing Resources for Veterans & Families: 🆘 Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 🔗 The 22 Project: https://support22project.org/ 🎖️ Vets and Badges — Real Stories. Real Heroes. Real Science. New episodes every week. 🔔 Click the Subscribe button so you never miss a story. 📩 Share this episode with a veteran family who needs to hear it. 📲 Follow @VetsAndBadges: 🌐 Spotify 📘 Facebook 📸 Instagram 🎙️ https://www.VetsAndBadges.com Vets and Badges Podcast is an initiative of HEALING - a non-profit created to support veterans, first responder and community stakeholders. For more visit: https://www.kbcf.org/programs/healing-corp/ VAB - 2026