In this powerful episode, host Ben Peterson continues the conversation with Brad, a former Navy EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) officer. Brad shares raw, unfiltered stories from Afghanistan and Iraq — clearing deadly IEDs, surviving firefights, and leading elite teams under extreme pressure.
But the real battle? It wasn’t only on the battlefield.
Brad opens up about addiction, PTSD, failed relationships, pornography, and the painful road to healing. Through spiritual awakening, faith, and a brotherhood rooted in Christ, Brad discovered redemption and purpose beyond military life.
🔍 What you’ll hear in this episode:
✅ The real danger behind dismantling IEDs in combat
✅ How intelligence, pride & trauma can keep warriors far from faith
✅ The hidden cost of high-performance living: addiction & brokenness
✅ How Jesus brought healing, forgiveness & new life
✅ Powerful moments of prayer, vulnerability & transformation
Timestamps (recommended for YouTube chapters):
00:00 Intro & call to support Engage Your Destiny
02:00 Leading EOD teams & life in combat
08:00 Surviving firefights and near-death moments
17:00 Addiction, divorce, and brokenness
32:00 The turning point: therapy, faith & men’s groups
41:00 Becoming a father, finding love, and walking in grace
50:00 Closing reflections & prayer
📢 WANT TO BE PART OF THE MISSION? | Help us continue to reach U.S. military members, veterans, and their families-
❤️ DONATE TODAY: https://engageyourdestiny.org/donate-now
📕 READ THE STORY THAT'S CHANGING LIVES: https://engageyourdestiny.org/book
NEW EPISODES EVERY WEDNESDAY! SUBSCRIBE to never miss an episode & TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to see how faith is impacting our soldiers.
Want to see more behind-the-scenes, more interviews, or something different? Drop a comment or leave a review!
LET'S CONNECT:
Follow us on Facebook: / engagedestiny
Follow us on Instagram: / engage.your.destiny
Follow us on Pray.com: / https://www.pray.com/benpeterson
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.