In this powerful episode of the VinnyRoc Podcast, Vincent "Rocco" Vargas sits down with Dustin Burkett, a former law enforcement officer turned custom gun grip artist and founder of Burkett Customs. Dustin Hill opens up about his 20-year career in law enforcement, his battle with PTSD, and the life-changing impact of the Warrior PATHH program through Boulder Crest.
He shares how forging unique custom grips from rare and meaningful materials—like wooly mammoth tooth, meteorite, and even samurai armor—became both his business and his therapy. From addiction and suicidal thoughts to finding peace and purpose in craftsmanship and fatherhood, Dustin’s story is one of raw vulnerability, redemption, and resilience.
This is a must-watch conversation for first responders, veterans, and anyone navigating the mental health challenges of service and life after.
Guest:
Dustin Burkett
Website: https://www.burkettcustoms.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burkettcustoms/
Resources Mentioned:
https://bouldercrest.org/program/warrior-pathh/
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
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.