Behind The Shield

Rob Garnett is a 22 year Navy SEAL veteran, athlete and the Managing DIrector of One More Wave. We discuss surfing as a child, his journey into the military, compassion on the battlefield, veteran suicide, his perspective on reducing war, veteran suicide, the therapeutic power of surfing and much more. https://onemorewave.com/

Otto Drozd III is a seasoned leader in fire and emergency services with over 35 years of distinguished experience, dedicated to protecting communities, driving innovation, and advancing fire service excellence on a global scale. In this second conversation, we discuss the pandemic, the fire service recruitment crisis, lithium ion fires, courageous leadership and much more. Currently, Otto serves as the Executive Secretary of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association under the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), where he leads national and international collaborations to address the fire service's most urgent challenges. His leadership encompasses transformative initiatives ranging from wildfire and emerging energy technology responses to advocating for firefighter health, safety, and resilience.Otto's impact is perhaps most evident in his instrumental role in the fast-tracked development of NFPA 3000™, Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program. Following the Pulse nightclub tragedy in Orlando in 2016, Otto spearheaded the request for NFPA to create the world’s first standard addressing mass casualty incident planning, resource management, incident command, and responder competencies. Drawing on his decades of public safety expertise, he united more than 50 representatives from law enforcement, fire service, EMS, hospitals, emergency management, private industry, universities, schools, and federal agencies, including DHS, FBI, and DOJ, to create a comprehensive, life-saving framework. Thanks to his vision and leadership, NFPA 3000 was released in May 2018—just 20 months after its inception—marking it as one of only two provisional standards in NFPA’s 125-year history. The 2021 edition further solidified its standing as an essential guide for global public safety.Throughout his career, Otto has been recognized as a thought leader in the fire service. He is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences, sharing insights on emerging risks, strategic innovations, and policy developments shaping the future of fire and emergency services. His presentations reflect his commitment to improving operational efficiency, enhancing community resilience, and addressing the challenges of increasingly severe weather and evolving technologies.Otto's career includes executive leadership in municipal, county, and international fire service organizations. As Fire Chief in jurisdictions across Florida and Texas, he managed large-scale operations, oversaw multimillion-dollar budgets, and implemented strategic planning initiatives that improved emergency preparedness and operational excellence. Under his leadership, departments earned prestigious milestones, including ISO Class One ratings and accreditations for fire, EMS, and emergency management services.A tireless advocate for advancing the fire service, Otto has spearheaded initiatives such as developing national consensus standards, establishing regional training facilities, and launching officer development programs. His advocacy efforts have influenced federal and state policies and secured critical funding for firefighter cancer prevention, lifesaving technology advancements, and fire safety programs.

Paul Collette is a former Senior Probation Officer, Navy Reservist with 30 years experience as a mental health counselor. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, the world of probation, hunting sexual predators, mental health and much more. Hi, I'm Paul! I'm a retired federal LE and an Associate Professor at Connecticut State Community College. I helped those with addiction and co-occurring disorders who are struggling with their recovery. I've built a successful career at helping high-risk clients with unique problems - either through their involvement in the criminal justice system, federal drug courts or their recovery via high-impact work. I have a three decade +history of working in the federal judiciary, non-profit and hospital-based environments with a strong addiction, military and protective services background with skills in Nonprofit Organizations, Government, Criminal Justice, Addiction and Public Speaking. Expert consultant and instructor; law enforcement and court personnel on national policy and sensitive investigations as it pertains to child exploitation, human trafficking, child pornography and cyber-crime matters.

In January 2014 I ejected from a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet at 695 mph. The fastest survived ejection in the history of naval aviation. The violent ejection left me with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken neck, broken arms, broken legs, and a variety of nerve and blood vessel damage. The speed of the ejection shredded my dry suit and I plunged into the icy Atlantic Ocean. A malfunction in my survival gear left my parachute attached to me instead of disconnecting upon impact with the salt water. The parachute that had just saved my life filled with ocean currents as it sunk and began pulling me beneath the frigid water. With shattered arms I had no ability to disconnect my parachute. My tattered dry suit filled with 37 degree Fahrenheit water and became a sea anchor, further inhibiting my ability to breath. If you’ve ever been held under by a big wave surfing you know the feeling. For the next two hours I struggled to gasp for air as I intermittently would bob to the surface. While the hypothermia was slowly killing me, the cold water also helped to slow the rapid bleeding from my torn brachial artery and open leg fractures. I was pulled from the ocean by a Navy H-60 Seahawk helicopter and a heroic rescue swimmer named Cheech. I was incredibly fortunate to make it to a level one trauma center in Norfolk, Virginia where some of the best surgeons on the planet reassembled my destroyed skeleton with titanium rods and steel plates. Over a dozen surgeries later and two weeks in a coma I awoke to face the biggest challenge of my life. Paralyzed and confused from the brain injury and massive amounts of medications, it took months to grasp what had happened. The medical professionals were straight with me. I would most likely never walk again and my career as a strike fighter pilot was over. Something inside me said, “Fuck that! I will prove you all wrong.” I spent the next several weeks shitting myself and trying to wiggle my unresponsive body. Little by little I regained function. After two years of intense rehabilitation and overcoming prescription drug addiction to the dozens of drugs that just seemed to be given to me by default I was able to max out the Navy’s physical fitness test and returned to flying Super Hornets. It seemed I had overcome it all until about two years later I was diagnosed with delayed onset PTSD. My mental function varied greatly and I started going in and out of psychosis. In the psychosis I thought I was being hunted by the government and people were constantly out to kill me and my family. The more pharmaceutical drugs the psychiatrist recommended the worse my problems seemed to get. I spent another year undergoing more surgeries and receiving all available conventional psychological treatments before it became clear that my career really was done. I was eventually medically retired from the service. Had it not been for my wife and family support I would have taken my life. I remember wondering what the barrel of my pistol would feel like on my teeth and how the gun oil might taste just before I nearly took myself out of misery. The only thing that stopped me was when I looked over to see my newborn son sleeping quietly with my wife. To kill myself would have been selfish. As my psychosis worsened my wife found me dressed in a garbage bag. I had shaved off my eyebrows and most of my hair. I though I was going out to fight crime like Batman. My wife drove me to the ER and I was eventually moved to a VA mental health facility. There the only answer seemed to be more drugs. I was injected with Haldol when I tried to resist more oral drugs. Haldol makes your entire body feel like it’s crawling with insects. Your instinct is to run, scream and move to escape to restless urge. Every patient in the inpatient facility was forced to take drugs. https://kegangill.com/

Based in Southfield, Michigan, Dr. Richard Veyna is not just a renowned Board Certified Neurosurgeon but also the driving force behind RSV Medical and Transcend Company. This groundbreaking initiative encompasses a dedicated team of NPs and PAs who are specialists in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and peptide therapy, licensed across all 50 states. They serve as the pivotal consultation backbone for patients at Transcend, a leading health and wellness company committed to redefining healthcare access in areas like age management, sexual wellness, and hormone therapy.Dr. Veyna's prowess in the realm of neurosurgery is evident in his specialization in complex spinal disorders, deep brain stimulation, and minimally invasive techniques. His collaborative endeavors with institutions, notably the Struthers Parkinson's Disease Center, highlight his commitment to interdisciplinary advancements.Having kickstarted his academic pursuits at Baylor University, Dr. Veyna then reached a pinnacle at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where he was honored as valedictorian. He further enriched his expertise through a Peripheral Nerve Fellowship at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.His roles as a Neurosurgeon at the Michigan Head & Spine Institute and an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine underscore his dedication to clinical excellence and academic contributions. Throughout his career, he has been graced with numerous accolades, memberships in elite medical societies, and a reputation that stands testament to his unwavering commitment to medical excellence and patient care.https://transcendcompany.com/

Craig Harrison joined the Blues and Royals, a Household Cavalry regiment, at sixteen. He has served in Bosnia, two tours of Iraq and two tours of Afghanistan. He trained to become a sniper after his first Iraq tour and holds the world record for the longest recorded sniper kills. He was mentioned in dispatches for his bravery.We discuss his childhood around horses, his journey into the military, the Balkans, his infamous sniper shot, the danger the publicity put his family in, his powerful mental health story, his school Maverick Survival and much more.https://www.themavericksurvivalschool.co.uk/

Steven Barger has dedicated 16 years to Fire and Emergency Services, demonstrating a deep commitment to public safety and community service. He currently serves as a shift commander at the Village of Bald Head Island Department of Public Safety, where he oversees operations and ensures the safety of residents and visitors. Steven holds multiple certifications, including National Registry of Paramedic Certification, North Carolina Advanced Firefighter Certification, and North Carolina Intermediate Law Enforcement Certification. Additionally, he has earned the esteemed Fire Officer designation from the Center of Public Safety Excellence and BS from Fayetteville State University. In addition to his role in public safety, Steven is an elected official on the Brunswick County Board of Education, where he serves as the chairman. His leadership on the board is marked by his commitment to enhancing educational opportunities and ensuring the well-being of students and staff. Steven has been married for 12 years and is the proud father of three daughters. He believes in the importance of family, community, and lifelong learning, and he is dedicated to making a positive impact through his professional and civic endeavors.

Dr Michael Lange is an optometrist, nutritionist and radio personality. We talk about vision, eye health, physicals, nutrition and much more.Dr. Michael Lange, optometrist has worked extremely hard at developing one of the top eye care centers in the country. Lange Eye Care and Associates was started on March 15, 1993 by Dr. Michael Lange. Ocala Florida was his very first location and the beginning of his dream to build a state of the art eye care center utilizing the latest in technology.Lange Eye Care has optometric physicians and ophthalmologists on staff to provide full coverage in some locations seven days a week. Michael Lange OD, CNS , the Ocala eye doctor, worked seven days a week, 18 hrs a day for the first ten years to build such an impressive organization of eye care specialists. Dr. Lange states, “If you work hard enough, long enough and truly have a passion for what you do, you will succeed.” He adds, “To be extremely successful it takes a lot of sacrifice as well”.Dr. Lange has been hosting his own live talk radio show called “Ask the Doctor” since April of 1993. This is a live call-in show that can be heard on multiple networks throughout the South and live video streaming throughout the world via the internet and on I heart radio and In tune Radio. The talk show is all about educating the public about the latest in eye care and nutrition.One of Dr. Lange’s first degrees is in psychology and he is also one of a select group of optometrists in the country that is a certified nutrition specialist. The combination of psychology, optometry and nutrition enables Dr. Lange to tactfully handle just about any question that comes over the air. His unique gift of discussing even the toughest questions with patients from all over the country in easy to understand terminology has made him one of the most popular talk show hosts in Florida and around the world. Dr. Lange also has a degree in physiological optics that only enhances and further qualifies him to answer a variety of questions.He always states, “This is for educational purposes only and never replaces a comprehensive eye exam”. He lectures to doctors and the public on the importance of proper nutrition, dietary modifications and lifestyle changes for overall health and good eye health.Dr Lange's website: http://www.langeeyecare.com/about-us/

Ben Iverson is a veteran Wildland Firefighter and Training Specialist for the US Forest Service. We discuss his journey into the world of firefighting, forging human performance, the recruitment crisis, learning from Line of Duty Deaths, addressing the increasing wildfires, his own powerful mental health story and much more.

Award winning author Sebastian Junger talks about human yearning to be part of a tribe. We discuss the effects of war on man and how the tribal culture is fundamental to First Responders.Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of THE PERFECT STORM, FIRE, A DEATH IN BELMONT, WAR and TRIBE. As an award-winning journalist, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a special correspondent at ABC News, he has covered major international news stories around the world, and has received both a National Magazine Award and a Peabody Award. Junger is also a documentary filmmaker whose debut film "Restrepo", a feature-length documentary (co-directed with Tim Hetherington), was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. "Restrepo," which chronicled the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, is widely considered to have broken new ground in war reporting. Junger has since produced and directed three additional documentaries about war and its aftermath. "Which Way Is The Front Line From Here?", which premiered on HBO, chronicles the life and career of his friend and colleague, photojournalist Tim Hetherington, who was killed while covering the civil war in Libya in 2011. "Korengal" returns to the subject of combat and tries to answer the eternal question of why young men miss war. "The Last Patrol", which also premiered on HBO, examines the complexities of returning from war by following Junger and three friends--all of whom had experienced combat, either as soldiers or reporters--as they travel up the East Coast railroad lines on foot as "high-speed vagrants."Junger has also written for magazines including Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Outside and Men's Journal. His reporting on Afghanistan in 2000, profiling Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was assassinated just days before 9/11, became the subject of the National Geographic documentary "Into the Forbidden Zone," and introduced America to the Afghan resistance fighting the Taliban. He lives in New York City and Cape Cod.