Faces of Veterans

Episode 8: Autumn Wright (US Marines, LVS)

In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Stephen Willette interview Autumn Wright, a Marine Corps veteran and current beautician! They discuss the intensity of the training new recruits receive, why it's necessary, how adapting to civilian life afterwards can be difficult, and more! A GLENS FALLS TODAY PRODUCTION NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, or Spa City Digital. 00:06 - Introduction 01:15 - The Fall 05:21 - Who is Autumn Wright? 07:37 - 75 Hard: All Three of Us! 11:17 - Why Join the Marines? 15:13 - The First Weeks… Weren’t So Bad! Learn What You’re Made Of! 17:59 - What Happens to Those Who Can’t Cut It? 20:12 - The Intense Treatment… Has a Point! 21:23 - 2007: LVS Needed in Iraq! 24:30 - Deploying With a Friend… To the Mojave 26:20 - Steve’s Desert Training: Intense Heat AND Intense Cold! 27:28 - Transporting Through Fallujah 31:25 - First Day Out the Gate… The Panic Fades 35:02 - Joining the Lioness Program… What’s Under That Burqa? 37:31 - No Room For Anxiety 39:12 - Adapting to a Constant Threat of Death 44:34 - We Were Their Parade 46:33 - Coming Home… The Hardest Part 50:31 - Who Am I? What Do I Do? 52:28 - Find Your Purpose… It Takes Strength to Get Help When You Need It 55:03 - Getting Uncomfortable Is the Only Way to Grow 56:43 - Closing Remarks: How to Get in Touch

Episode 7: Derek Lloyd (US Army SSG, 2002-2011)

In this episode, our host Mike Nelson interviews Derek Lloyd, an army vet who's seen his share of action in Afghanistan! They discuss the intense conditions in a battle zone, the importance of camaraderie in that situation, why it's so difficult to build that kind of kinship as civilians, and more in this in-depth episode! A GLENS FALLS TODAY PRODUCTION NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, or Spa City Digital. 00:06 - Introduction 02:11 - Walking 22 Miles… To Raise Awareness! Oh, My Aching Feet! 04:11 - Straight Out of High School 05:35 - Deploying to Djibouti: Horrific Heat Levels! 08:59 - 178th Airborne: Finally Seeing Combat! 10:25 - From Bush to Obama: Changing Rules of Engagement, Cooperating With a Questionable Force 12:39 - One Engagement, Every Single Day… Ambushes Along the Infamous Korengal Road 15:39 - Dealing With a Triple-Stack Anti-Tank Mine! 18:29 - Escaping the Stress… Has its Risks, But it’s Necessary! 20:39 - One Shower a Month, No Time for Laundry! 21:52 - An Electrified Truck Ride 23:40 - The Hollywood Wars: Don’t Even Come Close to Reality! 24:09 - It’s Hard to Forget… Losing That Camaraderie Hurts. Making Friends as an Adult Civilian is Hard! 27:01 - Veteran Support: Money is One Thing, But Time is Precious! 29:04 - What’s That Cracking Noise?.. The First Shooting 32:15 - Second Time’s the Charm 34:54 - What a Difference an Established Base Makes! No More Moon Dust and Diesel Disposal! 36:42 - Coming Home: A Free Cum Laude From U-Albany! 38:18 - Getting Into the Family Business: Hello, Duke Concrete! 39:45 - Derek’s Advice to Returning Vets: Find Some People You Can Vent To, and Rely On! 41:18 - Pearl Harbor Mixer at the Slick Fin Brewery, December 7th! 42:04 - The Revitalization of Fort Edward and Glens Falls 42:52 - Closing Remarks

Episode 6: Ralph Wettig (US Navy)

In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Steve Willett interview Ralph Wettig, a PBR Squadron veteran who served in Vietnam and the Philippines! They discuss his rigorous but memorable training, some of the unique aspects of the two countries he served in, and a few surprising experiences! You won't want to miss this episode; give it a listen! A GLENS FALLS TODAY PRODUCTION NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, or Spa City Digital. 00:06 - Introductions 01:11 - Skipping the Draft… And Heading Straight to Vietnam! 03:19 - SERE Training: Basic, Cornerstone Survival! 04:34 - Are Snakes Really That Tasty?.. 05:08 - Grenades… Are Not So Easy to Throw! 05:57 - Solution: The Thumper! 06:15 - PoW Training?! Don’t Get Caught! 11:25 - Brothels & Bars, Oh My! 13:19 - PBR Squadron: Check Those Waterways! 15:21 - Unfriendly Fire: Don’t Push! 18:52 - The Tet Fib: There Was No Overrun! 21:38 - Sticky Fingers (Not the Album!) 23:54 - Endless Beauty… Trapped in War 25:44 - A Dismal Return Home 29:53 - Just Tuggin’ Around 35:15 - Back You Go: To Subic Bay 36:24 - DON’T Do the Mess-Around! 39:33 - My Buddy the Bandit 40:56 - What Makes a Good Beer? Mike’s Ready to Give it a Try! 44:14 - Filipinos: Great People, Great Culture! 45:25 - A Surprising Breakup 49:37 - The Inside Job 51:38 - Paying for It 52:32 - Government Spending: Skewed Priorities 54:42 - Closing Remarks

Episode 5: Dave Santy (USMC)

In this episode, our host Steve Willet interviews Dave Santy, an infantry veteran from the United States Marine Corps! They discuss his rigorous FAST training, what he believes makes for a real patriot, a dangerous encounter with a garbage bomb, and more in this stellar episode! A GLENS FALLS TODAY PRODUCTION NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, or Spa City Digital. 00:06 - Introduction 01:31 - How to Join a FAST Company 03:18 - Joining the Marines: To Deploy, Not Hang Around as Glorified Security! 06:19 - The Draft Goes Against the Military’s Goal: A Person Needs to WANT to Be There! 07:41 - Maturing Too Young: There’s Some Things Fresh Recruits Just Aren’t Ready For! 09:28 - Speaking Against Superiors: Big Trouble! Is it Worth it? 13:13 - FAST Company and Three-Ring Standby: Not For the Faint of Heart! 15:28 - The Rival: Santy VS Smelly Cat! 17:02 - Operations Work… Like Torture to an Infantry Guy! But the Schedule Was to Die For! 17:55 - Reenlisting: Had to Be Done to Get Deployed! 20:07 - Leading a Team: Trust MUST Be Built! 21:46 - Deploying to Iraq… The Triangle of Death! 23:02 - What’s That Noise?.. ENEMY FIRE! 25:08 - Garbage Bombs 26:53 - Kicking a Bomb off the Road: Too Busy to Wait for EOD! 29:42 - Complacency… Sometimes Saves Time, Sometimes Costs Lives! 32:02 - Taking Advantage of Military Regulation: A Crafty Enemy! 33:53 - Regulation Should Be Based on Real Field Experience, Not Theoretical Tactics! 34:38 - Recycling Vietnam Tactics? What Were They Thinking? 37:38 - Camaraderie in the Military… There’s Nothing Quite Like It… 39:10 - …Friends Outside the Military Aren’t Even Close! 40:15 - Military Recruitment Less than 2% - But That’s For the Best! 42:15 - Chinese Forces Aren’t Crossing the Ocean Any Time Soon! 43:49 - “Patriot” Has Become a Dirty Word 46:04 - Dave’s Advice to New Recruits: Join For the Right Reasons… 48:05 - … And Don’t Join Infantry, Unless You Want to Stay For Twenty Years! 49:40 - Shoutouts and Closing Remarks

Episode 4: Justin Hall

In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Steve Willet interview Justin Hall, an Army veteran with some stories of courage and hope to tell! They discuss his post-military health problems, his wonderful service dog Rosa, his non-profit Jiu Jitsu organization, and more in this inspiring episode! A GLENS FALLS TODAY PRODUCTION NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, or Spa City Digital. 00:06 - Introduction: Welcome Back, Steve! 00:31 - A Brief Introduction to Justin Hall 01:51 - Justin’s Injuries: Started With Side Effects From an Anthrax Vaccine! 05:30 - Steve’s Vaccination Tale: Deployment Can Entail Dozens of Shots - With Plenty of Side Effects! 07:35 - The BioThrax Tragedy 08:51 - Refusing Shots: Not an Option in the Military! Vaccination or Discharge! 09:55 - Multiple Sclerosis in Veterans is Becoming Unfortunately Common… 10:58 - Justin’s Jiu Jitsu Training! 12:58 - Rosa the Service Dog: The Best Friend a Guy Could Have! 14:02 - Mike Cannot Guess Weight 14:12 - How Rosa Can Detect and Help Justin with his PTSD Episodes: Wonder Dog! 15:43 - One Size Does Not Necessarily Fit All: Service Dogs are VERY Specifically Trained! 16:24 - Rosa the Key: Opening Justin’s Doors! 18:15 - How Medical Conditions Can Make You Feel Like a Prisoner… 19:01 - … But Your Emotions are the Cage! 19:57 - How Justin Gained the Power to Break That Cage… 20:59 - … With His Passion for Jiu Jitsu, and a Dedicated Team Who Shared That Passion! 22:59 - Starting at White Belt and Working Your Way Up: A Rewarding Journey! 24:48 - Jiu Jitsu Scholarships - Available, Particularly to Veterans! 25:06 - A Visit From Nicholas Rahn of Warrior’s Next Adventure! 26:51 - Camaraderie: Easy to Find in the Military, Precious on the Outside! 27:47 - If You Don’t Do It… Who Will? 28:03 - Justin’s Non-Profit Venture: Hosting Jiu Jitsu Competitions to Raise Veteran Suicide Awareness! 29:01 - Use the Bait to Better Spread the Message: Awareness is Awareness However it’s Gained! 30:47 - Rolling With Strangers: A Scary Challenge With Growth Potential Abound! 32:20 - Bad Eggs Don’t Spoil the Bunch: Very Good Sportsmanship on Average in Jiu Jitsu! 33:45 - 22 Tournaments: Operation “Rolling for Resilience” 35:45 - From Tournament Series to Non-Profit Organization: Amazing Progress! 37:03 - One Key Piece of Advice: You’re Not Alone! Reach Out and Get Help! 39:00 - Making the Connection: When it Was Time to Meet Rosa 41:38 - How Physical Fitness Can Help Improve Your Mental Health, Too! 42:35 - Improving Mental Health is Not “A Moment” - It’s Conscious, Consistent Effort Over Whatever Period is Necessary! 43:42 - Don’t Give Up! Tomorrow is Another Day, and An Hour From Now is Another Hour! 45:03 - Fatherhood: Worth All the Effort! 45:45 - Closing Remarks: How to Get in Touch