Behind The Shield

MSgt (Ret.) Miguel Zeran, aka Z, is a former USMC Force Recon Marine who holds a BS in Health & Wellness, an MS in Kinesiology, and is in his third year of doctoral pursuits in Human & Sport Performance. He is a CSCS, CPT, SFG1, and trained Health Coach who is sitting for the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC) board exam this year.He has spent over 14 years teaching, coaching, and training military and first responder populations in USMC Reconnaissance, USARNG, Naval Special Warfare – Armada de Chile, Wildland Fire (BLM & USFS), and Municipal/Structure Fire, and Law Enforcement. His operational experience across multiple countries and conflicts, alongside his educational pursuits and training, has afforded him a unique perspective on what it takes to gain and maintain health, wellness, and fitness sufficient to succeed in any clime and place.

This week I welcome back two of the most respected first responder Psychologists to upack all things mental health. We discuss psychological recruitment testing, the educational requirements of the different mental health practitioners, the pros and cons of EAP programmes, what a counseling session should look like, how to find a culturally competent clinician, provider red flags, overcoming financial barriers and so much more. Dr Brooke Bartlett: “I am a licensed clinical psychologist (PSY33545) in California with specific expertise in trauma-, anxiety-, and stressor-related disorders and symptoms. I have trained at some of the nation’s most renowned institutions for PTSD and anxiety and am one of few psychologists with extensive experience and training in working with first responders and military veterans. I absolutely love what I do for a living and make the most out of my training and education by being as versatile within the field of psychology as I can be; I am a consultant, professor, and clinician- all at once!I’m often asked why I chose to pursue a career as a trauma psychologist, and my best answer is this: I truly believe I was born to do this work. Since childhood I’ve been captivated by the stories of resiliency displayed by individuals who have experienced unspeakable trauma. This catapulted me into a lifelong pursuit of better understanding how trauma uniquely impacts each individual. I am continuously humbled and inspired by the strength and resiliency of those I work with, and I use this inspiration as my daily motivation to provide the highest quality of service to all my clients.”Dr. Jena Casas, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical and Police and Public Safety Psychologist who owns and operates a private practice in Northern Nevada. She holds a master's degree in Criminal Justice and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a certified emergency responder and public safety clinician. She specializes in providing mental health services to first responders and their families and organizational consultation to agencies interested in developing wellness programming for their staff.Dr. Casas is an accomplished researcher, having published dozens of peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on topics related to the intersection of culture, psychology, and law; her most recent publications are related to the mental health of first responders.Dr. Casas is also a member of key organizations for providers that practice in police and public safety psychology, including APA’s division 18, the IACP psychological services section, the national sheriffs association, and the society for police and criminal psychology.

Stephen Davis is a former Divison Chief, Entrepreneur and author of "Alone in the Fire". He was terminated by Orange County, FL in 2021 after refusing to enforce erroneous vaccine madate write ups. In this second interview, we revisit the mental and financial cost of the first responder terminations, the fallacies on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and social distancing, the government overreach that remains unchecked, the first responders who continue to lose their jobs and much more.Stephen Davis, BS, MS, is a veteran of the US Army, where he served as a medic, and spent 22 years in fire and emergency services, rising to the rank of Division Chief. He is dedicated to making firehouses around the country safer and better places to work. To this end, he speaks at firehouses, bringing value to Fire and EMS Personnel with his unique insights and leadership strategy, The Five Rung Ladder of Leadership.Stephen is a decorated public servant, now meeting the needs of families around the world as the co-founder of The Raising Alphas Project, a parenting movement dedicated to raising the next generation of mighty leaders.Based in the Central Florida area, Stephen’s greatest joy is his family, with his beautiful wife, Veronika, and their two alpha sons, Caiden and Kai.

On September 11th, 2001, Port Authority Police Officer, William Jimeno, left his home unsuspecting of what the day was about to hold. Just a few hours later he lay crushed beneath the Twin Towers' 220 stories of concrete, steel, and glass. Most of his team had already died. He and his sergeant were helplessly trapped. The pain and anguish had only begun.Many have seen Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, which depicted this horrific day and the rescue of Will and his Sergeant, John McLoughlin. Surviving the initial collapse was only part of the story. Multiple surgeries, forced retirement, survivor's guilt, depression, and learning to live again with PTSD were waiting outside of the rubble.Will has teamed with clinical psychologist, Michael Moats, to share his message of faith, hope, and love and how these three things helped him navigate the unchartered waters of learning to live again after the tragedy of September 11th. Although Sunrise Through the Darkness speaks directly to first responders, Will's message is relatable to anyone who has suffered trauma or loves someone who has. Sunrise Through the Darkness marks the 20 year anniversary of 9/11 and gives honor to those that died through Will's continued work of healing and serving others.

Michael Hawkes served in the British Military for 24 years with 12 years in 22 SAS (Including 6 years Covert operations). He spent 2 years as a military advisor to the British Secret Intelligence Services in London (MI5 for Covert operations). The last 22 years have been spent in corporate security operating out of Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Sudan, Libya and the last 6 years in West Africa.We discuss gymnastics, his journey into the military, Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, serving with the Special Forces, his transition story, school safety, farm security, armed policing in the UK and so much more. https://www.hawkesandco.uk/

Gwen Grimes is a former firefighter, paramedic and law enforcement officer as well as the winner of the TV show "Naked and Afraid". We discuss how outdoorsmanship forged resilience as a child, the unique challengers for first responders in remote communties, the proactive nature of policing, the driver who ended her career, her powerful mental health story, competing in reality television, creating a wilderness retreat and so much more.

Denise Olsen is a nurse, yoga teacher and the widow of Jeff Olsen, one of the 343 firefighters killed on 9/11. We discuss her entry into healthcare, the genesis of their romance, protecting the WTC, the ripple effect of the attacks, grief, healthy coping mechanisms, growing from trauma, the importance of movement and so much more.On the eve of Sept 11, 2001 my husband kissed me goodbye, left for work at his firehouse in downtown Manhattan and I never saw him again. He left behind 3 small children and made me a 32 year old widow. I felt as if my life came to a complete stop. Not living, not dead. Learning how to navigate this new life was difficult, to say the least.The journey over the past 20+ years has been nothing short of miraculous. When we experience a tremendous loss or trauma, the grief is all encompassing. Trying to find your way out is similar to climbing a mountain. It certainly helps to have an experienced guide. I didn't have anyone nearby who had walked in my shoes. The internet was just beginning to pick up momentum so virtual groups were not popular. My husband was a lover of quotes and one day while going through one of his notebooks (just so I wouldn't forget his handwriting) I found a quote scribbled across the page-”Know Thyself”. It felt like a brick hit me in the head. This was it. Digging my way out of this pile of shit named “Grief” wasn't about getting over him. It was about finding myself. I learned mostly through trial and error.(Lots of error) The closer I came to my own truth, the clearer everything became. I was able to see how my entire life was a series of moments that gave me the tools to survive what was the most debilitating pain I had ever felt. https://denise-olsen.com/

Rudy Reyes is an American conservationist, martial arts instructor, actor, and Recon Marine. He is best known for portraying himself in the HBO TV miniseries Generation Kill. In this second conversation we discuss the suicide epidemic, courageous vulnerability, the importance of tribe, hormonal disruption, peptides, emotional TCCC and so much more.Rudy was born in 1971 on Richard’s Gebauer Air Base in Missouri while his father, a US Marine, was fighting in Vietnam. His parents had 2 other sons, all three boys a little over a year apart. After his parents' divorce in 1975, and with his mother unable to look after the boys, Rudy and his brothers were moved around Texas staying with various relatives before eventually settling with his grandmother. Sadly, four years later both grandparents passed away within the same year, leading to Rudy (then aged 7) and his brothers drifting throughout the mid-west, to eventually (at age 11) be saved by the Omaha Home for Boys. Rudy and his brothers would remain at the boys’ home until age 17, when Rudy would then emancipate himself and take formal custody of his brothers by the age of 18.During his younger years (age 11 throughout his youth), Rudy began competing in wrestling and football, as well as developed a deep affection for comic books and heroes. At the age of 18, he then began to study martial arts, training in Kung-Fu, eventually winning the title of International Jing Woo Martial Art College Champion, multiple times. In sum, his martial art achievements are over 20 medals, 14 of which were gold. He worked various jobs, from construction to table bussing, while simultaneously training as a kickboxer, in an effort to provide stability and discipline for himself and his brothers (who he also got into kickboxing.)In 1998, Rudy found himself watching a film covering orphans in Kosovo who’s parents were killed by their own countries snipers. Rudy, at the age of 26, was so compelled to do something to help, decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps (USMC).Military CareerRudy enlisted in the USMC as a infantryman, and graduated as the honour grad and iron man of Boot Camp and School of Infantry. Rudy, due to his merit and initiative, was granted an opportunity to try out for Recon. The Reconnaissance Marine Community is 300 strong, between 5 units, making it the most prestigious and difficult group in a Marine Corps of 300,000. A group that no man may sign up to join but must be invited and prove their worthiness to earn the title of a United States Recon Marine.After being a special forces operator for three years, during which Rudy became a “schooled-out“ (paratrooper, combat diver, demolitions expert, scout sniper, closed quarter combatant, and SERE trained) Recon Marine, Rudy was called for his first combat reconnaissance mission in 2001 in Pakistan – a preparation mission for USA's Special Ops insertion to Afghanistan. Once the war officially started, his team ran operations that located and destroyed Al Qaeda within Afghanistan. In 2003, Rudy’s dear friend and senior Recon mentor was killed. Later in combat, his team leader was wounded in a horrendous night-time ambush, which lead to Rudy leading his four man team after cas-evac (casualty evacuation), through Baghdad to the Syrian Border and back. These events are what the HBO series Generation Kill was based on, telling their story of the Invasion of Iraq. His last active combat was in The Battle of Fallujah and Ramadi in Iraq in 2004, where he served as Senior Team Leader of his platoon. It was a brutal fight that took the lives, and limbs, of some of his most beloved comrades.

After eight years interviewing the greatest minds in wellness, I decided to record a live Q&A on how to transition to the 24/72 firefighter shift schedule. In this episode, I discuss the immense physical and mental health costs caused by sleep deprivation, the false economy of breaking our first responders, the cost savings of a shorter work week, how to solve the current recruitment crisis and so much more.Podcast Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/nn3PX3Qtq3o?si=oTvbOwQVB6gICGOcHere are the podcast episodes of the true subject matter experts that I reference in the podcast:Departments that have made the change:Chief Hugh Bruder - Episode 854Dixon Philips - Episode 879Matthew Harrison/Brian O'Connell - Episode 942Military Sleep Science Experts:Dr Allison Brager (Army) - Episode 117Rachel Markwald (Navy) - Episode - 196Capt. John Cordle (Navy) - Episode 389Dr Kirk Parsley (Navy Special Warfare) - Episode 6Lt Col. Jannell MacCaulay (Air Force) - Episode 175Dr Sara Jahnke (Firefighter Health Researcher) - Episode 928Dr Stuart McGill (Injuy and Performance) - Episode 95Prof. Russell Foster (Circadian Neuroscience) - Episode 647Rob Bilot (PFAS) - Episode 631The Firefigher Resilience Blue Sky Project:https://www.ihmc.us/BlueSky/20231107BlueSkyFirefighter.pdfWellness Solutions Mentioned:Transcend - https://transcendcompany.com/schedule-a-consultation/?ls=BehindtheShieldFoundation Training - https://www.foundationtraining.com/One More Light: Life, Death and Humanity Through the Eyes of a Firefighter -https://www.amazon.com/One-More-Light-Humanity-Firefighter/dp/1735586803/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

JP McMichael is a law enforcement veteran, professional wrestler, MMA fighter and the man behind "Catalyst of Change". We discuss his journey into policing, responding to the Pentagon on 9/11, the kindness of 9/12, his powerful mental health journey, suicide, Operation Enduring Warrior, the Strugglewell program and so much more.J.P. is a veteran First Responder of 20+ years. A responder to the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001, J.P. was later diagnosed with PTSD and in 2003 almost ended is life. Now the owner of Catalyst of Change Associates LLC, a former wrestler and competitve MMA fighter unitl he broke his neck in 2012, J.P. now shares his journey and lessons learned around the world, virtually and on the pages of his books. J.P. has authored three childrens books and is currently working on two adult books, one on the Americans with Disabilites Act in Corrections and Law Enforcement and the other on his Journey and lessons learned form those whose path he has intersected with along the way. J.P. bring the engergy and excitement you would expect from a performer and fighter to the stage and keeps his audiences on the edge of their seats. J.P. Can be reached through his website at www.CatalystofChangeAssociates.com and will soon be seen weekly on his web show The Wayward Path of the Warrior.