Episode 109 – Get Up Nation

Episode 109 – Get Up Nation

Episode 109 – Get Up Nation

I started listening to Get Up Nation Podcast a little over 6 months ago. Ben Biddick is an Army Veteran who took what he experienced in the military to make something positive for people. You can see his first real foray into this by checking out his book, Get Up: The Art of Perseverance. Ben wrote this with Adam Greenberg who played for the Chicago Cubs. Adam was making his first plate appearance and was hit by a pitch that changed his life.

Ben and Adam wrote about this experience and how Adam used this to make something more for himself. This started a mission focus of bringing a message that no matter the situation, one can take control of their life to make positive change.

Positive empowerment for one’s life is a common theme of all of Ben’s podcasts. I can tell you personally that most Monday’s I listen to this podcast on Stitcher.  It starts my week off on a strong positive note. I love hearing stories about how people have taken what appears to be horrible situations and turned their lives into a beacon of hope for others. This message of positive empowerment becomes contagious and helps me help others.

While Ben serves and works with active duty military and veterans, he talks to people from all walks of life. I believe that makes the message of Get Up Nation more relevant to anyone. You can be anyone and choose to make a change in your life right now. It is your choice, and Get Up Nation Podcast is there to show you the way.

I appreciated Ben’s time and candor during our talk. You can find out more by going to the website. Get Up Nation Podcast Website


Get Up Nation Podcast – Episode 37 on YouTube

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egHkjYzy5BI[/embedyt]

 


 

Get Up on Amazon

Ben wrote this book with Adam Greenberg who played for the Chicago Cubs. You can understand the concepts Ben talks about for all his work. Click the link below to get in paperback or Kindle. 

Get Up: The Art of Perseverance – On Amazon

Episode 108 – No Ghosts Here

Episode 108 – No Ghosts Here

Episode 108 – No Ghosts Here

All these items were in use at one time, even the signs.

I got invited to check out a private military collection. This was to support a project I am working on for the New England Center and Home for Veterans. The team needed some research done on World War One. Gary, who is a Marine Veteran, was gracious enough to allow me to come see what he had been doing.

I walked into the area and had to pause for a minute. I had been to plenty of military museums before, but this was the first time I had seen items like this up close and personal. This was the first time where someone other than a tour guide was telling me stories about each item. Many of these items had a personal story behind them.

Gary told me about a uniform that actually belonged to his father. His father’s story as an 18 year old kid working on a landing craft for D-Day. He told me about items his father wore and I could see a look of pride in his eye has he talked about that time.

However, it was during the podcast that this experience came in focus for me. He talked about another group that came and looked at the collection. One of the viewers said that there must be a lot of ghosts in these rooms. Gary looked at me and told me that there were, “No Ghosts Here”. This is not a place for ghosts he said, it is place of dignity. Where the deeds of those who went before us are kept alive.

I spent a lot of time reflecting on that thought as I prepared this podcast. I want to thank Gary and his son for taking the time to talk with me and show me something truly remarkable. Memories can be kept alive as long as we choose remember with dignity those who have gone before us. 

 

 


Two pictures showing how Camp Edwards (Now Otis Air Base) changed in a year during WWII

 

Episode 102 – Jody Part 5 – Military One Source

Episode 102 – Jody Part 5 – Military One Source

Episode 102 – Jody Part 5 – Military One Source

I started by talking about a Veteran who committed suicide recently because of a spouse messing around with Jody. I want to be clear. No human being on this planet worth suicide. There is a better way. This promo video that kind of summed up how I felt this week about it. (Episode 102 Promo and Rant)  .

No one wins in divorce. You can double that for a military divorce. There are situations you will face in a military that the majority of civilians will never encounter. Preparation and understanding of what your need to do is key to working toward the best possible outcome for you and your family.

Notice, I said best possible outcome. Again, there are no winners in divorce, so what you are working for is to complete the process and move on with your life without making the problem worse.

During this series on Jody and Jodie, I have worked to avoid hearsay, anecdotal evidence, or sea stories as a basis for discussion. Every episode has either a real story or solution offered so you can be informed and make that five paragraph order before going into battle. I found this great website called Military One Source.

Military One Source (https://www.militaryonesource.mil is hosted and managed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Look for the section Categories and there you will find Financial and Legal. Drill down in this section to find Legal and Family Legal Issues. Then you can review the section I used for this podcast, “Managing the Divorce Process”. Content was laid out in an easy to read, and follow format. The process had sections with tools and resources needed to be effective during this time of emotional trauma in one’s life. There even a number to call to get help finding an attorney for your case.

There will days that you stare into the abyss as my friend Jim Tough says during his daily pushup videos. Please do not step off the cliff.  OMR Sends


Jody and Jodie Podcast Links

I will add the episode links so you can get caught up. This is a year long series, so buckle up

Links to Jody/Jodie Past Podcasts

  1. Episode 81 – Jody Part 1
  2. Episode 85 – Jodie Part 2
  3. Episode 89 – Jody Part 3
  4. Episode 94 – Jody Part 4
Episode 101 – In Memory of Petty Officer Saman Gunan

Episode 101 – In Memory of Petty Officer Saman Gunan

In Memory of Petty Officer Saman Gunan

Today is my birthday so it is kind of cool that Episode 101 dropped when it did. This episode is about Thai Navy Seal Petty Officer Saman Gunan. I watched the story unfold about the rescue mission for the Wild Boars Soccer club.

Petty Officer Gunan, had been out of the Thai Navy Seals for six years. He was working in airport security when the call went out for the cave rescue and he loaded up and went to Chiang Rai to join his fellow Thai Navy Seals.

I don’t know what exactly happened that led to Petty Officer Gunan that caused his death. He was there working in dangerous conditions to save the lives of these children. Also, we wasn’t even active duty.

I was struck by how these Thai Navy Seals worked through the pain of losing a fellow brother to rescue all the kids and coach of the Wild Boars Soccer Team. One the challenges of doing this episode was that there was not a lot of information about Petty Officer Gunan or the Thai Navy Seals. Even Wikipedia was limited in the information about Thailand’s Navy.

All I know is that cave diving is dangerous at best, and it requires someone of superior skill and training to do safely. These rescuers were fighting against time and weather to get all these kids out. When a problem happens in cave diving there is no way to do an emergency surface. There simply is no margin for error or an equipment malfunction.

I hope Petty Officer Gunan’s memory lives on and inspires other across the world. Rest in Peace Brother, and Semper Fidelis.


 

Episode 93 – #impactfulathleteinteraction

Episode 93 – #impactfulathleteinteraction

Episode 93 – #impactfulathleteinteraction

with Tim Montjoy of Operation Teammate

University Georgia Bulldogs have been great supporters of Operation Teammate

Impactful Athlete Interaction. It is a mouthful that doesn’t really roll off the tongue. However, talking with Tim Montjoy for the third time, I get the sense that this phrase is not supposed to glide into thin air. There are all kinds of good things happening when athletes interact with children of military servicemembers. These children, who are separated from Mom or Dad for an extended period of time, see what hard work and dedication can pay off for their future.

I met Tim about two years ago and I swear he hasn’t stopped moving. Tim seems to running on full afterburner all the time as he is constantly talking with people about Operation Teammate, the children he serves, and what is next. He hasn’t slowed down from his time in the Air Force.

What is next is building on the mission focus for Operation Teammate. Instead of having a photo op for kids with the athletes, Tim wants to make sure that Operation Teammate adds value as a lifelong journey. These events are opportunities for children and athletes to learn from each other. The children see what striving for excellence can do for their future. Impactful means the athletes have the experience of learning about the sacrifices military servicemembers and their families endure. These athletes are also using this time to impart life lessons for the children. Thus we have the term #impactfulathleteinteraction. You will be seeing this phrase more and more in the future as Operation Teammate grows and expands their mission outreach. Thanks to everyone who supports Operation Teammate. As a LSU fan, I have to say #godawgs!

 


[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcJnOHEe4AU[/embedyt]


Contacts for Operation Teammate

Check out the links below for any all information about Operation Teammate


Past Episodes with Operation Teammate