Behind The Shield

Manny Vega is a Marine, retired police officer and a Gold Star father. We discuss his childhood trauma at the hands of a catholic priest, his journey into the Marines, violence, addiction, the Rampart scandal, the loss of his son, the Feres Doctrine and so much more.

Tom Synan is a Police Chief, Tedx speaker and mental health advocate. We discuss his journey into the military, Ohio's opioid crisis, mental health and addiction, the war on drugs, mentorship, compassion, the psychology behind mass shootings, his County's proactive coalition and so much more.

Steve Chikerotis is a retired Chicago Deputy District Chief, author, teacher and the man behind "Chicago Fire". We discuss the childhood mentors that forged his success, boxing, the inability to save, firefighter fitness, mental health, leadership, grief and so much more.

Dr Kate Pate is a neurophysiologist and the founder of "The Way Back". We discuss childhood trauma, eating disorders, traumatic brain injury, combat casualty care, the power of breath, sleep deprivation and mental health, human performance and much more.

Ash Cooper is a former youth choirboy, Gurkha officer, pilot and specialist military unit commander. We discuss his journey into music, joining the military, the heroism of the Gurkhas, the horrors of war, altruism on the battlefield, mental health, his non-profit The Unsung Foundation and much more.

Jo Patti Munisteri is a combat analyst, author, dancer and hollistic medicine practitioner. We discuss her unique childhood, the power of travel, working with the military, indigenous populations, herbal medicine, fostering resilience, her latest book "Travelling off the X" and so much more.

Leif Babin is a former Navy SEAL, author and co-founder of Echelon Front. We discuss his childhood in Texas, the Native American community, his journey into the Navy, leadership in the first responder professions, the fallacy of an "overnight success", transition and so much more.

Brooke Bartlett is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the founder of The Center for Trauma, Anxiety and Stress. We discuss her journey into psychology, youth athletes, her work in the VA, working with the tacical professions, the unique challenges facing wildland firefighters, post traumatic growth and so much more.

Chad Conley is an active Green Beret and the founder of "50 for the Fallen". We discuss his journey into Army Special Forces, the importance of leadership, the horrors of war, mental health, community through shared suffering, his latest fundraiser in Hawaii and so much more.

Paul Maleary is a retired Essex Police Officer, television personality and the founder of Ex Job. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, community policing, gun crime in the UK, the Rettendon murders, transitioning out of the first responder professions, his new podcast Ex Job Downloaded and much more.

Craig Gile is a former fighter pilot, entrepreneur and co-founder of Cool Mitt. Joe Bielitzki is the Chief Veterinary Officer for NASA and former researcher for DARPA. We discuss veterinary medicine, challenging innovation, 9/11, exogenous ketones, cooling the tactical athlete, sending animals to space and so much more.

Jamie Metcalf is the widow of Navy SEAL veteran David Metcalf and co-founder of the David Metcalf Foundation with Shannon Finn Connell. We discuss Filipino culture, China's diversity, their love story, traumatic brain injury, David's tragic mental health story, the genesis of their non-profit, brain research, the Human Performance Project and much more.

Raul Martinez is both an Army and law enforcement veteran and the founder of Rogue Methods. We discuss his journey into the military, compassion on the battlefield, working specialty units in Chicago PD, Arizona, defensive tactics, civilian weapons training, jiu-jitsu and so much more.

James Norris is an athlete, author and the founder of Handi Capable Fitness. We discuss the medical malpractice that led to his cerebal palsy, navigating childhood with CP, his career in radio, the gym mentor who challenged the way he saw himself, the genesis of his non-profit, his new book and so much more.

Sam Dillon is a Marine, Purple Heart recipient, firefighter and the President of the Boston Fire Department Union. We discuss his journey into the military, his perspective on war, entering the fire service, cancer, mental health, hockey, the vaccine mandates that still threaten BFD's firefighters and much more.

Valerie Groth is a social worker, school founder and a member of the Stella team. Aaron Terrill is a veteran law enforcement officer who survived a near fatal accident after being struck by a car. We discuss social work, the tragedy that inspired the Ryan Banks Academy, Aaron's near death experience, the impact his accident had on his family, therapy dogs, Stellate Ganglion Block and so much more.

Steve Dunlevy is an actor, stuntman and stunt coordinator known for his roles in Spartacus, Jumanji, John Wick and many more. We discuss his childhood in Australia, his journey into stunts, the importance of strength and conditioning, losing a beloved cast member, mental health, awards and so much more.

Joel Evan is a former California police officer and the founder of Joel Evan Coaching. We discuss his journey into policing, Califronia's homelessness crisis, addiction, the powerful story that drove him into functional medicine, the vaccine mandate that stole his career, entrepreneurship and so much more.

Dr Tommy Wood is an MD, neuroscientist and Pediatrics professor. We discuss his journey into medicine, neonatal TBI, Alzheimer's, ALS, sleep and mental health, Crossfit, nutrition, psychedelics and so much more

Nick Murray is the founder of Wake, a psychedelic treatment facility in Jamaica. He has united with Revitalist founder Kathryn Walker to provide a comprehensive treatment option called Unit Retreat. We discuss Nick's journey into plant medicine, treatment resistant PTSD, a holistic approach to cancer, the healing power of mushrooms and so much more.