Hazard Ground
Servicemembers from across the military, sharing their accounts of combat and survival. Hosted by sports talk radio host and Army veteran, Mark Zinno, this podcast brings you firsthand accounts of war, with a perspective you only get from someone who has lived through it. From WWII to Vietnam, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hear inspirational stories of service and resiliency from those who have fought on and off the battlefield!
176
Ep. 172 - Rocky Bleier (Vietnam/Pittsburgh Stee...
Following a promising college football career at Notre Dame, Rocky Bleier was on his way to starting a pro career in the NFL. It was 1968, and Bleier, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, was nearing the end of his first NFL season...
72 min
177
Ep. 171 - Rob Jones (Marine/Paralympian)
Searching for a higher purpose, and a sense of selflessness and brotherhood, Rob Jones enlisted in the Marine Corps at 20, while still attending college at Virginia Tech. His sense of purpose and the warrior mentality that the Corps gave...
73 min
178
Ep. 170 - Matt Klein (Army Infantry/"Battle Tri...
Matt Klein grew up with vivid stories of his grandfather flying dive bomb missions in World War II. His grandfather had signed up shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Much like his grandfather, Klein joined the military shortly after...
66 min
179
Ep. 169 - Gary Wetzel (Vietnam/Medal of Honor)
It's safe to say that fate has been on Gary Wetzel's side since the day he stepped foot in Vietnam. He survived 5 helicopter crashes; he's a living recipient of the Medal of Honor from his time there; he was shot, stabbed, and...
64 min
180
Ep. 168 - Justin Lascek (Green Beret)
Strap in folks, because in this episode we go deep into the life and survival of Justin Lascek. Justin is a Green Beret Medic, who was blown up a little over a year ago while fighting in Afghanistan. The blast ended up taking both of his...
150 min
181
Ep. 167 - Joe Chenelly (Marine/AMVETS)
Joe Chenelly’s path to the Marine Corps started from a very unlikely place. As he describes it, his parents were hippies. And after initially finding college to be something he didn't necessarily have an affinity for, Chenelly enlisted...
75 min
182
Ep. 166 - Vincent Vargas (Army Ranger/Actor)
Vincent "Rocco" Vargas thought his life would be baseball. He was on the path to take a stab at the majors, but academic ineligibility while playing college ball pushed him in a different direction. Inspired by military service...
67 min
183
Ep. 164 - Will Bardenwerper Returns! (Writer/Ar...
Will Bardenwerper returns to the show, and goes back to Ranger School. Will graduated the Army's grueling combat leadership school in 2004, but returned recently to write a piece for Outside Magazine on Ranger class 05-19. Bardenwerper...
68 min
184
Ep. 163 - Special Guest: Marc Fucarile (Boston ...
This week we're featuring another Special Guest, whose story is characterized by resilience as well as connected to recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. On April 15, 2013, Marc Fucarile was severely injured by the...
87 min
185
Ep. 162 - Tom Kerr (Green Beret)
A measured decision led Tom Kerr to pursue the Green Beret after 4 years in the Infantry. He wanted to do more in combat, serve with the elite, and know that what he was doing every time he deployed to a combat theater was not only challenging,...
76 min
186
Ep. 161 - Dr. Bob Adams (Navy SEAL to MD)
Dr. Bob Adams is fifth generation career military, dating all the way back to the Civil War. His military career spans 30 years, and began at the U.S. Naval Academy. Following graduation, Dr. Adams served a few years in the Navy before...
72 min
187
Ep. 160 - Mike Maroney (Air Force PJ)
He is credited with making roughly 5,325 rescues during his 20 year career in the Air Force. That's an average of approximately 5 rescues each week for 20 years straight! Mike Maroney joined the Air Force to become a PJ. He says he...
80 min
188
Ep. 159 - Jeremy Staat (From NFL to Marine Corps)
When Jeremy Staat was drafted out of Arizona State by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1998 NFL draft, it looked as if his life for the foreseeable future would be based solely around pro football. He was a standout player, but after four...
71 min
189
Ep. 158 - Nick Lavery (Green Beret)
If you're looking for motivation, or simply inspiration to never, ever quit, then you should listen to this episode with Green Beret, Nick Lavery. Nick enlisted in the Army to become a Green Beret after he graduated college in 2007....
96 min
190
Ep. 157 - Thomas Gibbons-Neff (Marine/Journalist)
Following in the footsteps of his father and both grandfathers, Thomas Gibbons-Neff joined the military at the end of his senior year in high school. He enlisted in the Marine Corps. Like many of his contemporaries, he just wanted to get...
56 min
191
Ep. 156 - Robert Patrick Lewis (Green Beret/Aut...
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a Special Forces Medic, Robert Patrick Lewis can certainly tell you. They are some of the most highly trained field medical professionals in the world. Lewis signed up to become one after...
85 min
192
Ep. 155 - Terry Wilson (Army Combat Engineer)
Originally, Terry Wilson wanted to be a Marine. But, following a brief education on the recruiting business, Terry opted for the Army instead when he learned his "guaranteed" MOS wasn't so guaranteed with the Marine Corps. He...
74 min
193
Ep. 154 - Rudy Reyes (Marine Force Recon)
There are Marines...There are Recon Marines...And then there is Rudy Reyes. At the age of twenty-six, Rudy joined the Marine Corps out of a desire to serve his country and honor the warrior mentality he had built within himself through...
68 min
194
Ep. 153 - Brad Thomas (Army SOF/Musician)
Brad Thomas returns to the show! Brad is a musician and retired 1st SFOD-Delta operator, who also fought in the Battle of Mogadishu - better known as "Black Hawk Down" - as an Army Ranger. Brad's band, "Silence &...
54 min
195
Ep. 152 - David Reeves (Ranger/Operation Just C...
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the conclusion of Operation Just Cause, this week we bring you an incredible story of combat and survival from that campaign. David Reeves was a Ranger fire team leader with Charlie Co, 3rd BN, 75th Ranger...
70 min
196
Ep. 151 - Patricia Collins (Army SOF/Athlete)
As someone who was rising through the ranks and performing at a very high level in the Army's top tier, elite special operations unit, Patty Collins never thought she would suffer an injury that would end up taking her leg, when she...
62 min
197
Ep. 148 – Kionte Storey (Marine)
Born prematurely due to drugs and alcohol, to a mother he would never meet, Kionte Storey spent the first 10 years of his life raised by his second cousin. He would spend 8 more years in foster care, before he found the Marine Corps. Joining...
91 min
198
Ep. 147 – Geoff Hopf (Marine/Author)
As an Infantry Marine, Geoff Hopf experienced a unique side of the Persian Gulf War we rarely hear about. Hopf's relatively small team was tasked with forming the first line of defense if Saddam Hussein decided to invade Saudi Arabia...
66 min
199
Ep. 146 – Kevin Wallace (Combat Photographer)
Anytime combat photographer Kevin Wallace was involved in a firefight, he often had a critical decision to make: shoot back at the enemy, or pick up his camera and take a much different shot. The decision could be painstaking, but Wallace...
72 min
200
Ep. 145 – Kyle Carpenter (Marine)
There isn't much we can say about Kyle Carpenter to further accentuate just how special a human being he is. He served as a Marine in combat and received the military's highest award for valor with humility, strength, and optimism...
104 min