Hazard Ground

Col Kim Campbell's story is one of perseverance, and living proof that shutting down the urge to quit or give up, will ultimately lead to what others told you wasn’t possible. At a young age she set her sights on attending the U.S. Air Force Academy to ultimately put herself on a path to become an astronaut. Several "No's" and a few roadblocks later, Kim Campbell earned her way to becoming an A-10 pilot. And that "no-quit" attitude is exactly what she needed in probably her most jarring...

Feeling an obligation to serve his country and fight for those lost, especially the first responders, after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Dave Burton went into a Marine Corps recruiting office on 9/12. To his surprise, there wasn't another person in line to sign up. He wasn't dissuaded though, and he enlisted that day. He left for boot camp at the age of 25. Following boot camp and the School of Infantry, Burton first deployed to Iraq in 2003 as part of the initial invasion force. There he...

Anthony Swofford joined the Marine Corps in 1988, setting in motion a series of events that would put him on the front lines of the liberation of Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Storm, and eventually help launch his career as a writer and producer. He's probably best known for writing the book, "Jarhead" - a very honest memoir of a Marine's life on and off the battlefield. The book would eventually be released as a major motion picture under the same name in 2005, with Swofford being...

In a matter of seconds Marine Cpl. Todd Nicely's life was changed forever. After the blast and while he was flying through the air, he knew "they" had finally got him. On March 26, 2010, while leading his patrol back to base camp in Afghanistan, Cpl. Nicely stepped on a pressure plate mine. The blast almost instantly took all four of his limbs, forever changing how he would live his life, if he would live at all. Nicely would survive the blast, becoming a quadruple amputee, as well as an...

Jim Reese spent a good part of his military career in 1st SFOD-Delta, and has been called "one of the finest special operators in the modern military” by the Commander of Coalition Forces of Iraq and Afghanistan. He played a pivotal role in the first stages of the Global War on Terror, right after September 11, 2001. His initial role was to bridge the gap between the Department of Defense and the CIA leading up to and through the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. And from there he was...

In this special Veterans Day edition of HAZARD GROUND, Mark talks with United War Veterans Council (UWVC) Executive Director, producer of the NYC Veterans Day Parade, and Marine veteran of the Panama Invasion and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Mark Otto. Otto only spent four years in the Marine Corps, but he packed a lot into those four years, playing a key role in two large military operations, among other special work. Following his time in the Marine Corps, he went on to become a...

Sometimes it's the invisible wounds from war that are the most difficult to diagnose and treat. The indicators are subtle, if ever apparent. There's more mystery than science, and the wounded are left with the burden of proof and most often hopeless for a cure. That's exactly what happened to Carolyn Furdek. A former NCAA Division 1 swimmer, graduate of West Point, four-time Ironman athlete, and a seasoned combat veteran and leader with multiple combat deployments between Afghanistan and...

Following in the footsteps of family members who had served before him, Zach Iscol earned his commission after graduating from Cornell University in 2001. He actually passed up a flight contract and joined the infantry so he could get to combat sooner, fearing he might miss the war while working his way through a lengthy flight school. In 2004, he eagerly volunteered to re-deploy to Iraq and fight in Fallujah shortly after returning from his initial combat deployment there. All of these...

What an absolutely insane story we have for you this week! On April 21st, 2007, Joshua Mantz was shot and killed by a sniper in Iraq. The exceptionally large bullet that killed Josh initially passed through a senior NCO standing next to him, and then severed Josh's femoral artery. After losing a significant amount of blood, Josh was dead for a full 15 minutes before a military trauma team resuscitated him, bringing him back to life. Mantz’s journey from graduating West Point as an Infantry...

Steve Kiernan joined the Marine Corps when he was 17. He attended his high school graduation as a Marine fresh out of boot camp. The discipline and drive that the Marine Corps instilled in Steve are what ultimately got him through some of his darkest days - the by-product of becoming a Marine and heading off to war. Just a few weeks into his first tour in Iraq in 2008, Steve was walking point on a security patrol heading back to base in Fallujah when he was hit by an IED. The blast ended up...

Despite the darkness of combat, there always seems to be moments of levity that surface from time to time. Paul Szoldra, whether he believes it or not, is a master at finding those moments. Whether it was Marine boot camp, or the unforgiving landscape of Afghanistan, Szoldra found humor to get him through the boredom, frustration, and nervous anticipation of combat. A near miss from an IED blast that most certainly would have taken his life, was all that was needed to make Szoldra all-too...

Retired Marine Staff Sgt. John Jones loved being a Marine. So much so that after the vehicle he was riding in was blown up by an IED in Iraq on January 3, 2005, one of his primary concerns was if he would be able to continue to serve in the Marine Corps. A twist of fate had put him in the target vehicle: he had made a last minute decision to switch into the vehicle that was hit, just prior to rolling out in his convoy. The blast from the anti-tank mine IED eventually took both of his legs....

This week...Marine and bestselling author of "Echo in Ramadi," Scott Huesing returns! Scott was first on the show before "Echo in Ramadi" was released (Ep. 50), and now he returns to pick up where he left off. This episode focuses on the human condition and the idea of human connection through war and the bonds of the military. It's really what the book "Echo in Ramadi" is all about - the immeasurable strength of the human spirit! Check it out! www.echoinramadi.com | www.savethebrave.org |...

What lengths would you go to, to change the world...to inspire others to change the world? Alex Evans, along with three other military veterans, is rowing a boat across the Atlantic Ocean to do just that. He's part of the 1st all-American Military veteran team - aptly titled "Fight Oar Die" - that will race across the Atlantic Ocean in December 2018, in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge - a race that has challenged individuals and teams from around the world for years. Their goal is to...

It's hard to put into words the magnitude of Joe Getherall's service to country from the time he enlisted in the Marine Corps to his retirement as a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. One thing is certain though, he embodies the qualities that every great leader should and needs to possess: selfless service, humility, mental-toughness, and courage under fire. He displayed those attributes during his three tours in Vietnam. Known as the "Iceman," he was wounded three times...

Don't ever say that a little anger can't be turned around for good. Matthew Betley is living proof that a whole lotta disdain for something, if re-directed in the right way, can lead to something pretty amazing. He took his anger, specifically for a highly-recommended international spy thriller he decided to start reading on vacation, but just couldn't finish because it was so poorly written, and turned it into an action-thriller book series of his own. Before that though, he spent ten years...

Thinking he would go to college & follow a much different path, Alex Juedes ended up "dropping out" to follow in his father's footsteps & become a Marine. He loved being a Marine in fact. But, on January 25, 2014, Alex Juedes was manning an MRAP gun turret in Afghanistan when an RPG slammed into the feed tray of his machine gun. Immediately, his right hand was gone and he was bleeding from shrapnel piercing his femoral artery. Alex made it out of Afghanistan alive though, but would never...

If you’ve ever wondered what the power of the mind looks like, and you’re also looking for some inspiration, then this is the episode for you! John Timar is a former Navy SEAL, who is now the Chief Sales Officer for Kill Cliff, a leading clean hydration and sports nutrition brand for elite athletes. John is also a successful, long-time entrepreneur. As a young man he set his sights on becoming a Navy SEAL despite the many naysayers along the way. In this episode John takes us through the...

This week we step off the beaten path and cover an oft-forgotten operation, and the stellar career in special operations of Steve Dawson. Steve spent 25 years in the Army - most of those with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Special Forces. He spent the better part of his career as an operator with Delta Force. He also took part in the rescue operation of Kurt Muse, an American civilian living in Panama and held captive during Noriega's rule in Panama in the late '80s, also known as...

On April 11, 2011 former Marine, Brian Aft stepped on an IED in Kajaki, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, while on a routine foot patrol. The blast ended up taking both of his legs, and ultimately leading him down a very dark path. He turned to hardcore drugs to numb the pain, and simply get through every day life as a double amputee. Then one day he was approached by former NFL linebacker, David Vobora in a parking lot. Vobora approached Brian with such enthusiasm that Aft thought the giant...