Behind The Shield

Terry, Joe and Dickie were my crew on Truck 1 in California, a true example of a band of brothers. We've helped each other through epic fires, gruesome extrications, divorce, back surgery, COVID and PTSD.This episode gives an insight into the reality of a cohesive team. in the fire service. We discussed everything from creating great leadership, dealing with trauma, the importance of training and much more.Terry Wilson, Joe Aldecoa, Richard (Dickie) Sprout and James Geering served on a Truck Company in California together. This was by far the most cohesive crew I was assigned to. We bought some beer, turned on the microphones and just started talking. This gives the listener an insight of a band of brothers who saw the best and worst life had to offer.

Russell Foster is a professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, where he also heads the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute.Foster’s research focuses on both visual and circadian neurobiology, and mainly on the mechanisms whereby light regulates circadian rhythms in humans and other vertebrates and what happens when these systems break down as a result of disease and under abnormal environmental conditions. The Nuffield Laboratory is currently the only research group in Europe, and one of very few in the world, where the dual functions of the eye — as both a receptor organ for vision and for the regulation of sleep and circadian rhythms — are being studied side by side.One of Foster’s most groundbreaking findings was the discovery in mice of a specialized class of photoreceptors within the eye called photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs). These pRGCs regulate not only circadian rhythms, but also sleep and arousal states, heart ra

Kona Oliveira is a federal firefighter, professional MMA fighter and big wave surfer who recently went viral for shredding a monster swell at Peahi off Maui. We discuss his childhood in Hawaii, growing up in a martial arts family, his MMA journey, the paradox of surfing and competition, becoming a firefighter and much more.

Matson Browning is an internationally recognized authority on the inner workings of white supremacy groups. As an undercover detective for more than two decades in Arizona, he thought he knew what hate looked like, that is, until he got a front row seat. For more than 25 years, Browning has been infiltrating, documenting, and disrupting White supremacy movements from the inside, gaining and intimate vantage point to the KKK, skinheads, border militias, Proud Boys, and other White power groups, as they organized and grew, their ranks including police force and military veterans. Together with his intrepid wife, Tawni, he adopted fake ids and ideologies, seeking the arrest of its hate groups participants -- none more so than JT Ready, a neo-Nazi who took "hunting trips" for border migrants while gaining mainstream acceptance as a political candidate -- and terrorizing Browning's family. What others dismissed as fringe groups, Browning quickly recognized as large and interconnected organizations permeating every

LtCol Gregson is the Director for the Marine Corps Center for Learning and Faculty Development at TECOM and Kelsie is the High-Intensity Tactical Training Coordinator for Marine Corps Base Quantico. Chris Hinshaw is the founder of Aerobic Capacity and is widely considered one of the top endurance coaches in the world. In this conversation, we discuss fitness in the military, the recruitment crisis, wellness in the general population, forging elite performance in the Marines, The Fittest Instructor Competition and so much more.LtCol Nic Gregson graduated from Officer Candidate School in 2004. He was designated a Field Artillery Officer in 2006. 1stLt Gregson reported to First Battalion, Tenth Marines in 2006, serving as a Forward Observer and Platoon Commander for his first deployment to Iraq in 2007. Upon return, he was assigned as Officer In Charge of Police Transition Team 6-District Habbaniyah for the deployment in 2009. Captain Gregson was assigned as the Targeting Officer for 26th Marine Expeditionary Un

Dyana Alexander is a Fire Captain and Paramedic. We discuss her journey into the fire service, death notifications, cardiac arrests, moral injury, pickleball and so much more.Dyana is a dedicated professional with nearly 18 years of experience with Orange County Fire Rescue. Currently serving as a field Captain in Battalion 3/A, she covers a vast area including International Drive, Sea World, Hunters Creek, Lake Nona, and Moss Park. Throughout her career, Dyana has demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence and innovation in the field of emergency medical services. Notably, she played a key role in the development and implementation of the sign-off process for Stand-alone Paramedics in Orange County. Dyana's educational background includes Critical Care Paramedicine from the University of Florida and an Undergrad in EMS. As an EMS educator for nearly 15 years, Dyana has shared her expertise and passion for pre-hospital education with countless students. One area of particular interest for Dyana is pediat

Jason Vale aka "The Juice Master" is an author, filmmaker and creator of the Juicy Retreats. We discuss childhood trauma, owning your history, how he reclaimed his health, disease reversal, addiction, forging resilience and much more.Jason Vale – also known as “the Juice Master” – is a man on a mission to “juice the world!” He is the best-selling author of over a dozen books on health, addiction and juicing; eleven number 1 iOS and Android apps; and the groundbreaking, feature-length documentary SuperJuiceMe! “If you don’t look after your body you’ll have nowhere to live!” Jason’s aim is to really ‘juice’ the world – in every sense of the world – and to make a juicer and a blender as common on every kitchen work-surface as a toaster and a kettle.Jason wasn’t always slim and healthy. In the past he suffered from psoriasis and eczema so extreme that it would cause his skin would crack; he had asthma so severe that on one occasion he was told that he was minutes away from death; and he experienced extreme allerg

Daniel Higuera is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Santa Ana College Department of Fire Technology. Currently, he provides health and wellness services to over 20 fire and police departments in southern California. In this conversation, we take a deep dive into the impact of shift work on firefighter health and performance.Previously, Higuera worked with athletes in both collegiate and private sectors. Higuera is a PhD graduate of Health Science with an emphasis in Human and Sport Performance at Rocky Mountain University. His research focuses on investigating the applicability of wearable technology for firefighters health and wellness.He earned his undergraduate and graduate degree in Kinesiology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Associated (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as a Certified Personal Trainer (ACSM-CPT).https://www.instagram.com/dr

Brian Sanders is a recently retired homicide lieutenant, gang expert, and presenter. During his career, he served on various proactive units, to include Gang Suppression Unit, homicide unit as a detective and later as a sergeant, intel sergeant, and other units. He is known for developing sources, actionable gang intelligence, motivating others to learn and work gangs, and pushing disruption initiatives to reduce violence. Additionally, he served two years on a special assignment attached to the Career Criminal Unit conducting a joint R.I.C.O. investigation with the F.B.I. which yielded the dismantling of a Blood set and earned an award from the director of the FBI. He has a B.A. degree in Psychology and graduated magna cum laude. While obtaining his degree, he earned his membership in Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology. He is also a former sergeant of the United States Army (Infantry) .

Eric Stevens is a collegiate and NFL football player turned firefighter. Eric was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) earlier this year. We discuss their athletic careers, how they met, being given a terminal diagnosis, how a potential cure is being withheld, how you the listener can help and much more.“The average life expectancy of ALS diagnosed patients is 2-5 years. Currently, the most promising treatment called NurOwn is going through a phase 3 trial, meaning that people who have been diagnosed and are potentially a good match for this treatment don’t have access to it unless they accepted into a trial. The trial is a double blind study, so even if you get accepted you only have 50/50 chance of actually receiving the treatment. Once your time in the trial ends, all participants are taken off the treatment even if it is greatly improving their lives.We respect the FDA, as well as the drug companies working hard to bring new treatments on the market. However, even with this respect for these agencies

Thaer Ahmad, MD is a board-certified emergency medicine physician working at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Ahmad is the assistant program director for the emergency medicine residency program. He serves as both the global health director and medical ethics director for the emergency department at Advocate Christ. Dr. Ahmad is also a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a board member of PAMA. The Palestinian American medical association.He has served in Gaza at Nasser and Al-Aqsa Hospital, as well as in Lebanon during the ongoing conflict. Prior, Dr. Ahmad has spent time in Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Kenya, and Greece working on local healthcare capacity building projects.In this third conversation, we discuss the US healthcare crisis, how lobbyists are profiting from American illness, the deliberate blocking of aid in Gaza, the murder of 15 Palestinian firefighter/paramedics, Israeli protests, finding a stem cell match for a terminally ill girl and so much mo

Joseph Bonanno is a 21 year veteran of the FDNY, fitness trainer and award winning chef. We discuss his journey into the fire service, firefighter fitness, his powerful 9/11 story, the community of 9/12, how nutrition led him to host a cooking show and so much more. FDNY VETERAN FIREFIGHTERGraduate Award Winning ChefFitness Trainer/NutritionistAuthor of “The Healthy Firehouse Cookbook”The Firehouse Grilling CookbookThe 20 year Commemorative “American Firehouse Cuisine”https://americanfirehousecuisine.com/

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is an internationally recognized scholar, author, soldier, and speaker who is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the roots of violence and violent crime. Col. Grossman is a former West Point psychology professor, Professor of Military Science, and an Army Ranger who has combined his experiences to become the founder of a new field of scientific endeavor, which has been termed “killology.” In this new field Col. Grossman has made revolutionary new contributions to our understanding of killing in war, the psychological costs of war, the root causes of the current "virus" of violent crime that is raging around the world, and the process of healing the victims of violence, in war and peace. Lt. Col. David Grossman is the author or co-author of five non-fiction and four fiction books. He has co-authored a New York Times bestselling book with Glenn Beck. His book On Killing has sold over a half million copies world-wide, has been translated into five

Erik Paulson is a former Shooto world champion and renowned catch wrestling coach. We discuss his journey into the martial arts, Jeet Kune Do, weapons, training the tactical professions, his time in the stunt industry, coaching the older martial artist and so much more.Sensei Erik Paulson has trained fighters such as Josh Barnett, Ken Shamrock, Renato Sobral, Cub Swanson, Ben Jones, Craig Wilkerson, James Wilks, Sean Sherk, and Former UFC champion Brock Lesnar. If you are looking to train at the highest levels in MMA, Kickboxing, and Grappling/BJJ, look no further than training with Sensei Erik Paulson. Known as an encyclopedia of moves, Pro Fighters have come all over the country and world to train with Erik to gain an edge for their upcoming fights.

Lionel Crowther is a 27 year veteran of the fire service, LODD survivor and mental health advocate. Steve Farina is a 30 year fire service veteran, a VP for the BC Professional Firefighters Association and is the vice-chair of the BCPFFA’s Mental Health Committee, as well as their Occupational Health & Safety Committee.In this second conversation, we discuss firefighter survival, courage in leadership, the recruitment crisis, firefighter families, sphere of influence and so much more.Lionel has been blessed to be a Fire Fighter for the last 27 years and now promoted to the rank of Captain with the Winnipeg Fire Department.Lionel is a Master Instructor for the IAFF Fire Ground Survival Program, Master Instructor for the Petzl EXO Escape System, IAFF Burn Foundation Coordinator, Trainer & Peer Supporter for Burn Survivor Fire Fighters & families, graduate of the West Point Sciences of Behavior Program through the LAFD Leadership Academy, sleep educator for the 62Romeo program with Seal Team 7 member

Chloe Brennan is a British Strongwoman currently transitioning from the U64kg weight class to U73kg. As a lightweight athlete Chloe broke two World Records (U64kg car walk and open record for the Rogue Replica Dinnie Stones), gained the title of 2019 England’s Strongest Woman and placed top 5 at every World Championship she competed in, most recently placing 2nd at the Arnold Amateur World Championships in Ohio, earning her Pro Card.)​Chloe owns her own coaching business ‘Holistic Strength Coaching’ where she combines her experience as a registered nurse in the behaviour and mental health field and lifting and competing experience to work with athletes from a variety of sports to improve their physical performance and mindset.

Anthony “Tony” Marquez is a soon to be retired CMSgt in the Air National Guard and a Fire Captain. Tony served 23 years in the Air Force, 13 years active duty and 10 years in the Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard. He has been in the fire service since 2005 serving as a volunteer fire fighter in New Jersey, Air Force firefighter, and currently as a civilian structural firefighter. Due to his personal mental health battles, childhood traumas, and witnessing his fellow brothers and sisters struggle, Tony pursued his Master’s in Social Work to help inner city youth, first responders, and veterans. He also serves as a guide for post traumatic growth training, Struggle Well, developed by the Boulder Crest Foundation. Tony has a passion to help others that are struggling in hopes they can see life is worth living, even through the hard times.

Shane Taylor is an actor, ambassador and the man who portrayed Army Medic Doc Roe in "Band of Brothers". We discuss his journey into drama, Captain Dale Dye's movie boot camp, forging camaraderie, the real men of Easy Company, horse riding, mental health and so much more.

Brandon Young - Brandon is a former U.S. Army Ranger and current business leader who leads with passion and integrity. He has spent over 25 years building and leading teams to achieve mission and business objectives in complex environments. In this conversation, we discuss his journey into the military, Ranger selection, the horrors of war, leadership, the power of perseverence, moral injury, his book and so much more.Brandon was also:Co-Author of the Enriched Life Scale (used by The DOD)As Director of Development with Team RWB, 450% overall revenue growth from $2M to $9M/ yr. over 3 years; developed strategic partnerships with Nike, Walmart, Starbucks, Microsoft, Amazon, The Schultz Family Foundation and The Marcus Foundation.Quest Diagnostics Regional Excellence Awardee for Commercial Leadership3rd in the 2006 Best Ranger CompetitionAssessed, mentored and trained over 1,000 Ranger leaders (75th Ranger Regiment)Jumpmaster for a combat parachute assault into Afghanistan (4 Total Rotations)MDiv. - Leadership,

My name is Joey Scrivani I’m 34 years old and a happily married father of two young boys. I am offering this course as a way to give back and teach skills I wish I would’ve had when I started my fire service career.After 10 years in the fire service, I was diagnosed with PTSD. My symptoms included panic attacks, disassociation, suicidal ideations, sleep issues, anxiety and depression. As I began my treatment, I found it lacking as the conventional treatment was aimed at giving pharmaceuticals to help my symptoms while failing to address the nervous system and the body. This approach placed me in a victim mindset and has been ineffective for me. After trying the conventional approach, I started to experiment with things outside the mainstream. Ice baths, saunas, breath work, meditation, journaling, TRE, float tanks, EMDR, neurofeedback, plant medicines and many other non-conventional approaches ended up being what gave me relief and allowed me to pull myself out of despair. Fast forward 3 years from my initial