Behind The Shield

Eric Siena was a veteran firefighter and special operations Lieutenant. Eric was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. His wife, Christy is also a fire Lieutenant. I sat down with them and Tom "Bull" Hill earlier this year when Eric was still undergoing treatment. We discussed his journey into the fire service, hazardous materials exposures, the cancer presumption bill, PTSD and much more. Eric Siena passed away on May 11, 2021. This episode is dedicated to him and every other first responder battling or taken by cancer.

Major Allison Brager is an Army neuroscientist, Crossfit competitor and astronaut candidate. We discuss advances in sleep research, transgender athletes, the mission to Mars, fitness testing and much more.

Roger Schei is an Idaho Police Chief, SWAT officer and jiu jitsu practitioner. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, strength and conditioning standards, combatives, using Echelon Front's principles in his department and much more

Melvyn Downes is a British Army veteran with 12 years spent in the SAS. We discuss his early life in England, the importance of mentorship, his journey into the military, mindset, reality television, Dubai living and much more.

Fahim Fazli is an Afghani native, American immigrant, actor and former interpreter for the US Marine Corps. We discuss the impact of the withdrawal on our veterans and the Afghani people, the ripple effect of previous conflicts, the industrial military complex, his latest film and much more.

Jeff Schwerdtfeger is a retired firefighter and the Vice President of Worldwide Peer Support. We discuss his journey into the fire service, gang violence, the addiction epidemic, special operations, his near death experiences, mental health in first responders and much more.

Jay Smith is a strength and conditioning coach and the president of the first responder testing and wellness company FitForce. We discuss his journey into coaching, entering the law enforcement community, the ADA and entry testing, wellness and injury prevention, forging longevity and much more.

Beth Bowersox is a former firefighter and resident of Paradise CA who was on duty as a dispatcher when the Camp Fire destroyed her community. We discuss her journey into the fire service, physical fitness, sleep deprivation, guilt from the inability to save, mental heath in dispatchers and so much more.

Dr Ellen Kirschman is an author and clinical psychologist who has spent her career working with the first responder professions. In this second interview, we discuss psychological testing, mental health in the wildland community, the importance of rituals, first responder families and so much more.

Richard Rice is one of the founding members of Delta Force with a career spanning Vietnam to Mogadishu. Jason McCarthy is a Green Beret veteran who served in Iraq. Emily McCarthy is a retired CIA case manager, serving in West Africa. In this unique episode, I sat down with all three to get their unique perspectives on recent events. We discuss the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the importance of trust in diplomacy, the courage of our indigenous allies, the mental health toll of combat, the power of community and so much more.