Veteran State Of Mind Network
Home of the Veteran State Of Mind and War Story podcasts, hosted by best-selling writer and former infantry soldier Geraint Jones.
Episodes
Lawrence 'Loz' Kayser served in Iraq on Op Telic 4, 6, and 8. He then went on to serve three tours in Afghanistan, taking part in such operations as Sond Chara in support of 42 Commando. On his sixth and final tour Loz was awarded a Military Cross. Incredibly, he was later medically discharged from the army for 'combat addiction.'
We talk about Loz's time at war, and after - particularly how Living History has not on...
On 6 June 1944, Keith Whiting was serving aboard HMS Ramillies, a British battleship supporting the Normandy landings. Keith helped fire the massive 15-inch guns that bombarded German defences ahead of the Allied assault on the beaches, and then supported them as they fought their way inland. HMS Ramillies fired so many shells during the invasion that her gun barrels later had to be replaced.
Keith reflects o...
"Jonny Whitmore MBE — known to many as Shed — was born in Hinckley, Leicestershire and joined the Royal Corps of Signals, completing P Company early in his career. He deployed to Afghanistan with 22 Signal Regiment and 2 Signal Regiment, before returning to the UK to serve as aSection Commander at ATC Pirbright, training and leading recruits.
He later completed the Special Communications Course and joined...
Ash McGraw served for 16 years in the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of The Mercian Regiment. During that time he lead soldiers all over the world, including on two tours of Afghanistan.
Since leaving the forces Ash has built a new mission focussing on leadership, resilience, and performance. He is an online coach and property developer helping everyday people rebuild discipline, transform their mindset and take on challenge...
Stuart Smalldridge served in Afghanistan with 42 Commando, Royal Marines on Operation Herrick 9
This episode contains descriptions that some listeners may find upsetting.
Note: Stuart served alongside Ben (War Story Episode 002), and crossed paths with Scott Ryder, 2nd Commando Regiment (War Story Episode 022) on a joint operation in Uruzgan Province.
If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please email ...
Ethan Nagel is a Marine Corps Infantrymen and Scout Sniper that served during the height of Iraq and Afghanistan war. He deployed to the Haditha Triad and Fallujah Provinces in Iraq and volunteered for a third deployment to Afghanistan as a Combat Advisor on Embedded Training Team 1-11. While attached to 10th Special Forces group and on patrol deep in the Mountains of Uzbin Valley, the team would be ambushed and the...
In October 2009, Corporal Andy Reid MBE was blown up by a Taliban improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Injured so badly that it was thought he would not survive, he defied the odds to the extent that, within a month, he was able to meet up with members of his patrol again. What he has achieved since then is little short of unbelievable.
The winner of The Sun's Millie award in ...
Mike Harrage is a former British Army soldier who began his military career as a Radio Operator in the Royal Signals. Early on, he realised he wanted to push himself further and volunteered for the Airborne Forces straight out of training. After successfully completing P Company and his parachute training, he earned the coveted Maroon Beret and Parachute Wings.
Mike deployed on two operational tours of Afghanistan, e...
Trey Morriss is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with thirty-one years of service, serving and supporting the legendary Eighth Air Force. His love of aviation runs deep―shaped by stories of his grandfather and uncle, who flew combat missions over Europe in World War II. Early in his career, Morriss took part in a top-secret, record-setting strike that opened Operation Desert Storm―the longest combat mission of its t...
TIM SAUNDERS served as an infantry officer with the British Army for thirty years, during which time he took the opportunity to visit campaigns far and wide, from ancient to modern. Since leaving the Army he has become a full time military historian and has made nearly fifty full documentary films with Battlefield History and Pen & Sword. He is an active guide and accredited member of the Guild of Battlefield Gu...
Steve Black served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. You can find his book in the links below, as well as details on The Muster Point - a veterans support and community project in Hertfordshire.
Stephen's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-another-squaddies-story-tour/dp/B0GHH4713N
The Muster Point: https://themusterpoint.org.uk/
Tickets to Geraint's event at Aces High Gallery are available here...
TED SHIRLEY is an author and former British Army sniper. He served two tours in Afghanistan, where he achieved remarkable feats, including shots from over a mile away. Despite these accomplishments, Ted faced a challenging battle with post-traumatic stress disorder upon his return home. The juxtaposition of life on the battlefield as a soldier to a small-town civilian brought new challenges as Ted watched many of hi...
Alana Stott MBE is a global prevention strategist, intelligence advisor, and founder working at the intersection of exploitation prevention, capital accountability, and systems change. She if the CEO and Founder of Blue Rose Foundation, a prevention-first organisation focussed on identifying and interrupting grooming, abuse, and trafficking before exploitation occurs. Blue Rose works with governments, frontline prof...
Rick Webb served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the King's Royal Hussars.
You can follow him on Instagram: @rickwebbgolf
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If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast please contact us at info@veteranstateofmind.com , or drop us a DM on instagram @veteranstateofmind
Please help us spread the word by telling your mates about the podcast, or by leaving a review/ rating.
Geraint's Substack: https://substack.com/...
Morgan Lerette served in the US Army before joining Blackwater as a Private Military Contractor. He is the author of Guns, Girls, & Greed, a firsthand perspective on how men act and react in war.
You can get Morgan's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Girls-Greed-Blackwater-Mercenary/dp/B0D5JMPTMY
Connect with him: @blackwaterdude1
If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please contact us at...
From the age of 12, Scott Ryder knew he wanted to join the army. After serving as a paratrooper and in East Timor with 3 RAR, he wanted more. He trained all summer and took the gruelling selection course for the commandos, earning the prized green beret on his second attempt.
Ryder shares battlefield stories from his tours to Afghanistan, where his regiment saw some of the heaviest fighting Australian forces have exp...
Dilip Sarkar is the author of over 60 books inspired by the Spitfire and Battle of Britain stories. Dilip is himself a living link to the past, given his privileged relationships with countless wartime survivors. He joins us to to discuss the importance of the Battle of Britain, the impossible odds that Britain faced, the people who made victory possible, and why we must never forget them.
You can learn more about Di...
Wayne Ingram M.B.E. MCPara began his military career in 1986 with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. He later completed the French Commando course before specialising in a reconnaissance regiment.
Since leaving the military, Wayne has dedicated his life to supporting children living with life-altering conditions—such as craniofacial disfigurements, scoliosis, and other complex medical challenges. Through tireless fun...
Colonel Robert Wemheuer served 3 tours in Vietnam as a United States Marine Corps aviator. He is the author of Unlike No Other, which you can find using the link below:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unlike-No-Other-Unlikely-Successful/dp/B0FDCCRHBP
If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast, please contact us on:
instagram: @veteranstateofmind
email: info@vsompodcast.com
Geraint's books are available at: www.g...
Matt Okuhara joined the Territorial Army at 18. After just a few weeks of training he was called up for service in Iraq.
Details of Matt's book, Basra and Back: "Basra and Back follows Salamanca Company, a unit of British infantry deployed to Iraq as part of the peacekeeping effort after the 2003 invasion, known as Operation TELIC. Drawn from units in southwest England, Salamanca Company wasted no time in assuming it...
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