Behind The Shield

Tori Gonzalez was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas when a former student murdered 17 schoolchildren and staff in 2018, including her boyfriend Joaquin Oliver. Anthony Gonzalez is Tori's father and was one of the responding firefighters to the attack. We discuss their early lives, Tori and Joaquin's romance, the aftermath of the massacre, grief, tactical medicine, the media, mental health and so much more.

Jeff McGreevy is a Marine veteran and retired law enforcement officer, serving in both gang and SWAT units. We discuss his journey into the military, entering law enforcement, his officer involved shooting, training under stress, mental health, Echelon Front, 911 at Ease and much more.

Anthony ‘Harry’ Moffitt spent almost three decades in the Australian Defense Force most of which in the Special Air Service (SAS). We discuss his journey into the military, rock music, cricket, mental health, writing his new book "Eleven Bats", psychology and so much more.

Dustin Hawkins is a veteran firefighter, the creator of Red Line Rescue and co-founder of Safer Straps. Dustin told his powerful story on Episode 39 and he now walks us through the last four years to bringing Red Line Rescue to our profession. We discuss mental health, suicide, creating culturally competent clinicians, connecting peer support and so much more.

Sebastian Junger is the filmmaker behind Restrepo and the New York Times best selling author of Tribe, War and his new book Freedom. We discuss becoming a father, his near death experience, the last patrol, leadership, unions, the concept of freedom and so much more.

Aubrey Lehman is a firefighter/EMT in Pennsylvania. She is currently the only interior qualified deaf female firefighter/EMT in the Mid-Atlantic region. We discuss her challenging childhood, the incredible innovation in medical technology, her journey into the fire service, challenging the status quo, mentorship, harassment, training, growth and so much more.

Nick Merrick is a member of 10th Special Forces Group and the Executive Director of Green Beret Racing. We discuss his journey into the military, the exorbitant casualty rate in his community, mental health, addiction, adrenaline sports, helping veterans transition out of the military and so much more.

Jason Wolfe was a civilian contractor for the DOD and is now a counter terrorism and security contracting expert. We discuss tracking down bomb makers, edged weapons training, the FAST rescue board and much more.

Emily McCarthy is a former CIA case officer and co-founder of GORUCK. We discuss collegiate athletics, her journey into the agency, mediating African warlords, the power of language, transitioning out, the importance of tribe and so much more.

Greg Kelley was a promising high school football player when he was falsely accused of sexual abuse of a child and wrongfully imprisoned. He spent the next six years proving his innocence, three of which in prison. We discuss his early life, his parent's medical issues that led to him staying with a friend, the outcry, the horrendous cascade of unethical practices in both the investigation and trial, overturning the decision, the power of love, reclaiming his football career and so much more.

Mike Taylor and Alex Roodhouse are Navy Riverine Veterans and co-founders of BeaverFit USA. We discuss their journeys into the military, standing up an elite unit from scratch, training for the unknown, equipping the tactical athlete, training under stress and so much more.

Luc Roberts is an Australian Rural Fire Service firefighter and mental health advocate. We discuss moving to Australia from the UK, his journey into firefighting, the "Black Summer" fires, PTSD and so much more.

Rich Graham is a Navy SEAL veteran and the creator of the Full Spectrum Warrior (FSW) System. We discuss his challenging childhood, martial arts, hunting war criminals in Europe, transitioning out of the military, weapons and combatives training, government overreach and so much more.

Dr. John Delony is a bestselling author, mental health expert and host of The Dr. John Delony Show. We discuss mental health in our schools and colleges, addiction, his own mental health journey, his book "Redefining Anxiety" and much more.

Casey is a law enforcement veteran, canine handler and SWAT operator. We discuss her journey into law enforcement, canine training, training the tactical athlete, sexual harassment, forging a new path, losing a law enforcement brother and so much more.

Roger Sparks has spent over 25 years in both Marine Recon and Pararescue. We discuss his military journey, the importance of training under stress, having to save his own son, mental health, the catharsis of tattooing and so much more.

Peter Conroy is an Irish firefighter, surfer, lifeguard and waterman. We discuss Dublin's pioneering Fire/EMS system, water rescue, physical fitness, staffing, water immobilisation, paramedicine, travelling and much more.

Major James Capers is one of the most decorated Marine Recon veterans who operated on over 50 classified missions in Vietnam. We discuss his challenging childhood, racism in the South, his indominable marriage, the impact of losing men, coming home, PTSD and so much more.

Dr Ryan Stanton is an Emergency Medicine Physician and the travelling physician for NASCAR. We discuss childhood obesity, fitness in racing, 911 abuse, trauma, COVID and much more.

Troy Warshel is a Marine Veteran serving in a host of positions including F/A - 18 fighter pilot and forward air controller. Troy is also the president of the non-profit Operation Enduring Warrior. We discuss his journey into the military, mental and physical lessons from aviation, the proximity of combat, mental health, nuclear power, OEW's incredible work and so much more.

Robb Wolf is a former EMT, biochemist and the award winning author of multiple nutrition books. We discuss his journey into emergency medicine, the obesity epidemic, the importance of sleep, nutritional philosophies, hydration, gut biome and much more.

Ben Strahan is a veteran wildland Hotshot, human performance coach and athlete. We discuss his journey into the fire service, the physical demands of wildland firefighting, the inmate crew program, staffing, mental health, why fires are getting bigger and so much more.

Mark Ormrod is a Royal Marine veteran, triple amputee, Invictus Games athlete and author. We discuss jiujitsu, the lockdowns, overcoming recent injuries, the incredible work REORG is doing, fundraising, tribalism, mental health and so much more.

Lt Col Steve Burgess is a BJJ Black Belt and Combatives Instructor in the Canadian Armed Forces. We discuss his journey into the martial arts, sport vs combat, strength and conditioning, defensive tactics in law enforcement, community through competition and so much more.

Danny McLaughlin is a retired firefighter and member of the MD Ally team. In this important episode, we discuss the multiple elements that strain emergency medicine resources, how Telemedicine is bringing a powerful solution to this problem, the vulnerability of fire departments to unethical business practices and much more.

Shelton Stevens is a veteran collegiate, Olympic and tactical athlete strength and conditioning coach. We discuss his athletic journey, the injury that changed his career path, what makes the elite athletes excel, nutrition, mobility, supplementation and much more.

Dr Chris Colvin is an emergency physician, Medical Director and author. In this second conversation, we discuss encouraging progress with COVID-19 treatments, dispelling vaccine myths, improving outcomes with fitness and nutrition, responding during the Texas ice storm, advances in HIV treatment and so much more.

Mandy Horvath is a chef, climber, artist and double amputee. We discuss her journey into the culinary arts, losing her legs, her physical and mental health struggles, childhood trauma, discovering climbing, addiction, post traumatic growth, the healing power of plants and so much more.

Jason Bitzer is a professional bodyboarder, author and Oahu lifeguard. We discuss the New Jersey surf, his journey to becoming a Hawaiian lifeguard, fitness standards, shark attacks, watermen, stunts, his non profit Never Off Duty and so much more.

Laurence Gonzales is a pilot, teacher and award winning author of multiple books including Deep Survival. We discuss his father's incredible survival story, training under stress, complacency, dark humour, overcoming trauma and so much more.

Jason McCarthy is a Green Beret veteran, author and co-founder of GORUCK. We discuss his journey into the military, the trials of a military marriage, the weight of war, transitioning out, entrepreneurship, overcoming hurdles, the healing power of dogs and so much more.

Kevin Berthia is a a suicide survivor, mental health advocate and founder of the Kevin Berthia Foundation. We discuss the strain of the adopted child, graduation anxiety, his mental health journey, the role CHP officer Kevin Briggs played in his survival on the Golden Gate Bridge, the rocky road to post traumatic growth, becoming a prevention advocate and so much more.

Jim Moss is a veteran firefighter, speaker and author. We discuss the impact of the pandemic on his department, mental health, firefighter fitness, leadership, ownership, his new book "Firefighter Success" and much more.

Dr Gregory Smith is a pain management physician, filmmaker and the CEO of Red Pill Medical. We discuss the opioid epidemic, the ripple effect of isolation on mental health, boosting immunity, the power of sleep, CBD myths, plant medicine and so much more.

Nick Whitcombe is a parkour athlete, coach and gym owner. We discuss his early life, the genesis of parkour, bodybuilding, drug smuggling, prisons, rehabilitation, addiction, the obesity epidemic, how the Liverpool gyms overturned lockdown legislation and so much more.

Liz Carmouche is a Marine Veteran and one of the first professional female fighters in the UFC. We discuss her journey into the military, homophobia, transgender athletes, underwater fitness training, mental health, overcoming injuries, service dogs and so much more.

Michael Sugrue is a veteran law enforcement officer in both the military and civilian sectors. He is also a suicide survivor. We discuss his journey into the military, the importance of travelling, his officer involved shooting, his mental health battle, post traumatic growth and much more.

Aaron Heller is a veteran firefighter, chief officer and founder of On Scene Training. We discuss the volunteer fire service, firefighter fitness, realism in training, leadership, forcing change, post fire decon, mental health and so much more.

Dr Elle Schwab is a retired Police Chief turned trauma counselor. We discuss her journey into law enforcement, hostage negotiation, CSI, sleep deprivation, her mental health journey, entering neuropsychology and much more.

Brent Gleeson is a Navy SEAL, entrepreneur and author. We discuss his journey into the business world, entering the special operations community, forging mental toughness, transitioning out of the military, overcoming fear, leadership and much more.

Jason Sautel is a retied firefighter and the author of "The Rescuer". We discuss childhood trauma, acute trauma, finding Christianity, the healing power of faith, catharsis through writing and much more.

Branch Warren is a world champion bodybuilder, coach and the co-founder of Wicked Cutz Jerky. We discuss his journey into strength and conditioning, building a foundation, forging mental toughness, overcoming injury, altruistic business and much more.

Antonika Chanel is a Coast Guard veteran and Chinese medicine practitioner. We discuss her journey into the military, organizational stress, travel, healing injuries, acupuncture, herbal medicine and much more.

Tony Long spend his career with the elite armed units of the Metropolitan Police in London. We discuss his journey into policing, the history of firearms in the UK, the evolution of armed officers, his officer involved shootings, organisational stress, the true cost of sensational media and much more.

Jeff Martone is a defensive tactics instructor, kettlebell master and Crossfit pioneer. We discuss his journey into the martial arts, learning kettlebells under Pavel, Crossfit, training the tactical athlete, combatives and much more.

Jesse Simpson and Dan Jarvis are both military veterans, retired first responders and members of the 22Zero team. We discuss their journeys into the tactical professions, their own mental health struggles, the incredible success of TRP, the 22Zero mission and much more.

Nathan Espinosa was a probationary firefighter when he fell through the roof of a commercial structure fire in LA. We discuss how his training saved his life, listening to your gut, the physical and mental healing journey, the incredible support from his crew and much more.

Justin Kingsley is a storyteller, creative strategist, author and filmmaker. We discuss his journey into pubic relations, politics, the power of branding, working with Georges St Pierre, storytelling through film, giving a voice to the indigenous population, branding the first responder professions and so much more.

Emma Benoit is a former emergency dispatcher, suicide survivor and the woman behind the incredible documentary "My Ascension". We discuss the pressures put on today's youth, the facade of being okay, the power of peer support, her physical and mental journey from paralysis, healing through altruism and so much more.

Nikki Selby is a Navy veteran serving as a corpsman, search and rescue member, rescue swimmer and nurse. We discuss her journey into the military, emergency medicine, lessons learned from the battlefield, responding to New York during the pandemic, the Tactical Games, transitioning out and much more.