Oscar Mike Radio

This week, join me as we sit down with Rae O’Donnell and Jeffrey Riley from the Veterans Resource Alliance to discuss a critical mission: supporting our veterans in New Hampshire. We dive deep into the challenges many veterans face when returning home, from mental health struggles and housing insecurity to the frustrating maze of fragmented support systems.

Rae and Jeffrey share their personal experiences and discuss how a local tra...

This week, I sat down with Dr. Ariel Jordan, an Army veteran and mental health expert, in honor of National PTSD Awareness Day.

Dr. Jordan shares her remarkable journey from serving as an Army culinary specialist to becoming apsychologist, a path profoundly shaped by personal loss and trauma.

She opened up about resilience, the role of evidence-based therapies like EMDR, and her mission to support veterans and caregivers.

This conve...

This week, Travis speaks with Mike and Steve from OperationVet Rescue, a Tennessee nonprofit dedicated to ending veterans’ homelessness.They share their Navy backgrounds, discuss the challenges facing homeless veterans, and explain their hands-on approach to outreach and housing solutions.

The conversation covers nonprofit transparency, theimportance of community support, and their vision for transitional housing. Theepisode highli...

In this episode, I interview Chris Brewer, a U.S. Army veteran who helped reactivate the 1st Ranger Battalion in the 1970s.

Chris shares insights from his 24-year career, including leadership lessons, the evolution of the Rangers, and the ethos of “Rangers Lead The Way.”

He discusses his transition to civilian life, post-9/11 security work, and his authorship preserving Ranger and Special Forces history.

The episode offers a rare, in...

I had the honor of speaking with Marine Corps veteran Logan Spiewak, founder of the Boots to Health Foundation. As we talked, I could almost feel the presence of Chesty Puller himself, a reminder of the grit, resilience, and determination that Marines carry with them long after leaving the Corps.

Logan opened up about his journey from a troubled youth to earning the title of United States Marine. His service was cut short by a medic...

In this episode of Oscar Mike Radio, host Travis interviews Eric Hummel, a submariner and Air Force veteran,about his military career and his book, The Losing Game: How to Lose War and Fail Veterans. Eric shares candid insights on the failures of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, the importance of accountability in military leadership, and the need for cultural change within the armed forces. He alsodiscusses his current work leading t...

I had the opportunity to sit down with K.L. Allen of Western Governors University (WGU) for a powerful conversation about education, service, and opportunity.

Growing up with parents who instilled the value of education and life skills, K.L. carried those lessons into his own military service, and now into his work supporting veterans and adult learners. He knows firsthand the challenges veterans facetransitioning to civilian life, ...

This is a different kind of conversation. I talked withSarah Johnson from Mission 22, a nonprofit dedicated to combating veteran suicide. Sarah shared the organization's origins, programs, and the importance of community support.

Our conversation centered around Mission 22’s recentstruggle after their Facebook page. Their Facebook Page was hacked, resulting in significant outreach and fundraising setbacks. Sarah details the chal...

This week on Oscar Mike Radio, I talk with Deborah Green, afemale veteran, former military police officer, and law enforcement dispatcher with 28 years of experience.

She discusses her service in the California National Guard during the Rodney King riots and her experience as a dispatcher handling critical calls.

Topics covered include: the challenges dispatchersencounter, her experiences with PTSD, the importance of mental health su...

We’re closing in on Episode 500, and you won’t want to miss this milestone conversation! I sat down with Martin Shefsky, CEO of Empath Therapeutics, and ibogaine trailblazer Boaz Wachtell, strategic advisor at mPath Therapeutics.

Together, we unpacked how ibogaine, a powerful, plant-based psychedelic, is making waves in PTSD and addiction treatment, especially for our veterans. We delved into Martin and Boaz’s journeys.

Boaz’s exper...

This episode holds particular significance to me for many reasons. I want to thank Evocati Public Relations (https://www.evocatillc.com/), a veteran-owned firm, for facilitating my conversation with Michael “Sully” Sullivan, a U.S. Army Ret. Green Beret Colonel and Incoming Executive Director for Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB).

During our discussion, Michael shared insights into his distinguished military career, the unique c...

Thank you to Kevin Tocci of Abington Community Access Media for making this conversation possible. His connection is a testament to the power of word of mouth and working alongside dedicated people. Thanks, Kevin!

In this episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Brian Shortsleeve, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and a prospective candidate for Governor of Massachusetts. Our discussion spanned his military roots, his pass...

Year Eight is closing out. I didn't use video; instead, I had a graphic and some letters.

I really enjoyed it. Yes, I love doing videos, but there was something about me, my microphone, and Audacity that connected me to what I was saying. I may do more of these as one-offs.

I didn't have a set subject tonight. I think my question to you all is, "What do you think about breakfast for Veterans?"

Going into year n...

In May, I attended the 10th Annual Elizabeth Dole Foundation Convening. Prior to the event, I talked with Michael Koorman, a 2025 Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, and during the event, I spoke with Joseph Kavanagh and Heidi Munro. I was invited to speak with Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. During his earlier speech, Steve discussed how the Foundation supports military and veteran caregivers, prompting me to ask...

In this moving episode of Oscar Mike Radio, recorded live at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s 10th Annual Convening in Washington, D.C., I sit down with U.S. Army Veteran and caregiver Heidi Munro. Her daughter, Vanessa, an Army officer, sustained a traumatic brain injury while on active duty, a moment that changed both of their lives.

Heidi opens up about navigating the complexities of military healthcare, the emotional weight of ca...

It was an honor to travel to Washington, D.C., for the 10th Annual Convening hosted by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. The event brought together an incredible community of caregivers, advocates, and supporters, all united by a shared mission to uplift military and veteran families.

While there, I reconnected with familiar faces like Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow Patti Krater and had the privilege of interviewing two of the 2025 D...

I was asked to teach a podcast class for Boyden Library (https://boydenlibrary.org/) in Foxborough, MA.

My students were engaging and interested in learning about podcasting. For their final assignment, they interviewed Michelle Hamilton, the Town of Foxborough's Veteran Service Officer.

Each student prepared questions based on their research and then interviewed Michelle. I put it all together, and the class had a watch party o...

It really is a small world.

I joined the Marine Corps from Shreveport, Louisiana — a city founded by Captain Henry Miller Shreve. So, imagine my surprise when Heather Shreve, a descendant of the Shreve family tree, reached out to me about her powerful new book, The Long Blue Shadow.

Heather isn’t just connected by name — she carries a 250-year family legacy of military service. Her book tells the story of her grandfather, Arthur Shre...