Choices Not Chances Podcast

When the Americans left Afghanistan my friend was still there. Anyone who was a fighter reported to the Panjshir Valley to join the Mujahideen resistance.

Brad Clayton joins the show to talk about life, golf, leadership, and his organization “The Brotherhood of Warriors”. Brad mentors and teaches golf to veterans as a means of therapy, and has a charitable organization dedicated to fellowship and golf. He is the recipient of the Decan Palmer award and the author of “Brad Clayton’s Puzzleduck Golf- Migrate to a More Efficient Swing & Game. Brad is a dear friend of mine and is close to our community. Please enjoy this podcast!

In this episode we speak with Brad Clayton. Brad is PGA of American master professional and also founded The Brotherhood of the Warrior. We discuss the events in his life that led him to found the Brotherhood of the warrior. This is a sneak peek.

Rick joins us as a US Army trained Russian-Eurasian expert to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one year after.    Rick is a former Army Colonel and served at US Embassy Moscow from 2000-2007 leading counterterror, counter-proliferation, and threat reduction cooperation efforts with  Russian Ministries, including the Ministry of Defense.  He was a Harvard University National Security Fellow in 2003, and served in Germany 1996-1999 assigned as an Arms Control Inspector.  He led on-site and international inspection teams throughout Eastern and Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union, monitoring treaties and agreements like the Dayton Accords in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, Conventional Forces in Europe, Intermediate Nuclear Forces, and Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions.  Rick, a senior paratrooper and jumpmaster, was assigned in his basic branch, Military Police, to Fort Bragg (Airborne), NC, Fort Drum (Light Infantry), NY and Fort Hood (Armor), Tx before his overseas assignments.   He spent six months in 1994, in Georgia, monitoring and reporting progress and ceasefire violations for the United Nations during Georgian-Abkhaz-Russian civil war.   In 1998, just prior to the NATO air campaign to expel Serbian forces from Kosovo, Rick was assigned to the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as part of the multinational Kosovo Diplomatic Observers' Mission (KDOM).   He has work, travel and living experience in over 50 countries including 6yrs in Germany, 6 in Russia and ~3 in Iraq.  Rick is a fluent Russian-speaker with varying degrees of aptitude in Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Czech, Arabic, German, Spanish and Serbian.  Active Duty hostile fire zones include Grenada, Georgia, Former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, and Iraq and Afghanistan after he retired.   He has supported DoD missions and initiatives for over 40 years.

Dr. Thomas Williams Joins the show to talk about life, service, and current events. I met Thomas years ago in the Marine Corps and we quickly became friends. Thomas is originally from Canada, where he spent ten years in the Canadian Army in a Highlands Infantry unit. Later, he would come to America with his wife and ultimately serve in the United States Marine Corps. Thomas deployed multiple times in support of Infantry units as an explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) technician. He retired from the Corps and is now an online professor and he coaches Lacrosse. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Dr. Thomas Williams Joins the show to talk about life, service, and current events. I met Thomas years ago in the Marine Corps and we quickly became friends. Thomas is originally from Canada, where he spent ten years in the Canadian Army in a Highlands Infantry unit. Later, he would come to America with his wife and ultimately serve in the United States Marine Corps. Thomas deployed multiple times in support of Infantry units as an explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) technician. He retired from the Corps and is now an online professor and he coaches Lacrosse. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

In The Marine Corps, we don’t have medics. We have warfighters and we have Navy Corpsmen. The warfighters generally wage the war, and the Navy Corpsmen keep them healthy, and should they fall; he patches them back up. The Navy Corpsmen are in many ways the lifeblood of the infantry line. They live, train, fight and die right beside their men. In the Navy, they are referred to as “Green Side Corpsmen”, in the “Infantry line” they go by Brother or DOC. Anderson (Doc H.)Hernandez, joins us on this episode. Doc. H. was Second Platoon’s lead DOC on the Marjah push in 2010. Doc Hernandez was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions in 2010, and his accounts are necessary for future Corpsmen to hear. Look out for the full episode on 02-07-23. Thanks for watching.

CWO2 Gunner William Callen Joins the show to talk about life, combat, and the pull out from HKIA. There is a wealth of information to take away from this episode. Ranging from the Battle at An Nasiriya to the pullout from Kabul. You don't want to miss this episode!!

Following his retirement from the Army, Grossman founded the Killology Research Group to give seminars about the physiological and the psychological effects of having to use lethal force for law enforcement officers and soldiers. Grossman also speaks at civilian events on ways to reduce violence in society and deal with the aftermath of violent events such as school shootings. As a civilian Grossman has been an expert witness in numerous state and federal court cases and was part of the prosecution team of United States vs. Timothy McVeigh. In 2022, Killology Research Group was renamed and rebranded to Grossman On Truth. In this episode we chat about his books "On Combat" and "On Killing". We also get a peek into what is coming next, which include a new work in progress about the importance of sleep. Don't miss this episode!

Michael McCormack joins the show to help us understand his company Eolian and there bleeding-edge technology.  He discusses childhood games and his love tech. There is much to be learned from this interview. From military procurement and contract vehicles, to some of the latest battlefield technology.

In this episode we speak with Jhon Drago. Jhon is a Marine veteran. After getting out of the Marine Corps Jhon has continued his service as a Law Enforcement officer in North Carolina. We discuss the ups an downs of his Marine Corps enlistment and his Law Enforcement service. This is a don't miss episode.

We were honored to sit down with Marine Major Gordon Emmanuel in this episode. Gordon was our Platoon Commander in 2010 for the invasion of Marjah. We dive into Gordon's career in the Marine Corps, highlighting his time in Marjah (2010) and follow-on deployments and duties as well. Gordon is a Marine's Marine. He is the one who always challenges his Marines to do better, never letting them be comfortable with mediocrity. It's our pleasure to share this episode with you.

In the past 12-18 months, the Marine Corps has had some divisive remarks penned concerning the adaptation of the force. Retired Generals and warfighters have been expressing concern over the New Force Design. There are several articles bashing the new design and others that show passive-aggressive concern.  I was interested in understanding the “why” behind some of the changes, so I began to investigate the topic. I found a few articles from one of the most senior Marine Gunners currently serving. Gunner LaRose served as one of the representatives from the Marine Corps, on the Pentagon’s Close Combat Lethality Task Force. While reading his works, I was impressed by the way he painted new technologies. I was going to do an episode on the information I found, but Gunner LaRose can do a much better job of that than I can. This episode is my aim at bridging the two sides of the coin.  After 30 years of protecting this nation, making his way to the top of the enlisted ladder, and becoming a Gunner, LaRose has continued to serve.

This episode is with Bradley Williams. He is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant who was called into the ministry. As he moved out of the Corps and into his walk with Christ, Bradley had yet another call to service. After consulting his family at home and in the church, he decided to run for the Onslow county school board. Many of the Camp Lejeune Warfighters in North Carolina have children in the public school system in Onslow county. This episode is my aim at disseminating information to the local electorate.   No matter who you vote for, you should be looking into more than just a 30-second response clip! Dialog is welcome in the comments section!  Semper Fi-

Shawn Waterman is a Marine, a fitness coach, and a positive influence on all who come in contact with him. We had a great conversation about life and the future. Don't miss this episode.

Judson Brandeis is an award-winning urologist and sexual medicine expert, clinical researcher, physician educator, and caring clinician and surgeon. He joins the show to discuss everything from marijuana to low testosterone numbers, to the effects of blast waves on vital organs. Join in and follow along!

Ty Davis was Ryan's very first platoon Sergeant when he arrived at F.A.S.T. Company in 2005. Ryan learned many things from then Gunny Davis. He joins the Podcast to spread the knowledge of a career spent training, leading, and mentoring young Marines. you do not want to miss this episode!

Chris Jones joins the show to talk about his journey through a career in the Air Force as a JTAC, serving with multiple different Army and Marine Corps SF teams. His team members describe him as a force multiplier with an infectious attitude and smile. Chris is a humble warrior, who was made for the job. He now resides on the west coast and works for the Benchmade  Knife Company, overseeing the tactical knife line.

Wayne Phelps is the author of the book " On Killing Remotely- The Psychology of Killing with Drones". He is a retired LtCol. in the United States Marines, who spent time at the end of his career with RPAs (remote piloted aircraft). We talk about his career as well as great conversation ranging from the book contents to the proliferation of drones on the battlefield. Join the conversation and learn about the future of combat.

Master Sergeant John Rose joins the show to give a lifetime of lessons learned. John was wounded in 2010 by an IED while rigging another vehicle that had been blown up for a tow. He woke up several weeks later in a 98-degree room, in a burn center in Texas. John talks about his experiences, and the will to carry on, despite several catastrophic events. Thanks for joining us for the conversation!

URGENT***YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED***  MARSOC 3- ONGOING MURDER TRIAL  Major Fred Galvin  U.S.M.C. (RET.) Brings to light the latest details concerning the ongoing three year murder charges against 3 members of the Marine Corps Special Operations community.

When I was young I would hear frequently of my grandfather's service in the Second World War. Only it was not the type of story you would think. I would hear very little of the combat stories, even though there must have been many. He was an Army medic, and in the second World War, there was no shortage of men being hurt and killed in the most savage of ways. Instead, the stories, heroic in their own right, were stories of salvation. Stories of young men turning their lives over to Christ and being saved amidst the smoke.  I was introduced to the Day of Battle podcast by one of my buddies Kyle. When I listened to the podcast, my thoughts of my grandfather populated my head. Joe Hayes is a great man who believes in God and makes it his point to talk about some of the more pressing motivators surrounding that topic. Joe earned a Bronze Star with a Combat Valor Device for his actions under fire with his team. He is an advocate for veterans everywhere and is campaigning hard against suicide in our community. In this episode, we both vow to never take our own life. I encourage you to do the same! Thanks for listening.

In this episode, we talk with Joseph Froedtert, a former Marine 0311 that served almost his entire enlistment with the co-host Matt as well as a deployment with the host Ryan. We talk about his life growing up, his enlistment in Marine Corp, from Security Forces to 3rd Battalion 6th Marines in the battle of Marjah. We also cover his transition back to civilian life and his career as a truck driver running the roads. Thanks for listening.

In this episode, we talk with Joseph Froedtert, a former Marine 0311 that served almost his entire enlistment with the co-host Matt as well as a deployment with the host Ryan. We talk about his life growing up, his enlistment in Marine Corp, from Security Forces to 3rd Battalion 6th Marines in the battle of Marjah. We also cover his transition back to civilian life and his career as a truck driver running the roads. Thanks for listening.

This evening we are sitting down with a person that has been at the center of controversy and conversation for a few months now. He was jailed and removed from his job as the Battalion CO at Advanced Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry East, on Camp Lejeune; following a series of videos that were criticizing the upper echelons of the Corps.  The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan was a failure in planning and execution at the strategic level and in the eyes of LtCol. Scheller, someone needed to be held accountable. It is no question that there were mistakes made, but when “Big Marine Corps” went after Scheller it raised my curiosity. Why would the ranks try to rip this man apart so badly, for something that a solid swath of the population agreed with? The warfighting population that is.  In episode 17 we had LtCol. Retired Jonathan Myers on the show where we covered his book, “American to the Corps”. In the book and the interview, he talked about the withdrawal from Afghanistan as well. He was with the J5 Intelligence Joint staff as an intelligence officer.  According to Myers, the capabilities of the Taliban and the possibilities of them taking back control of the country were always being briefed. None of the plans being briefed included leaving overnight, he stated that it was unheard of. He mentioned “if you ask anybody the rank of Colonel and above, you going to get one answer as to whether or not the Taliban is going to take over after we leave. If you ask anybody Lieutenant Colonel and below, especially you guys having served there and worked alongside the Afghan National Army, not special forces allies and translators, you’re going to get a completely different answer”. He added that “Once you hit Colonel and General Officer it becomes politics, all politics”.  When enough sane-minded people are saying the same thing, it might be worth looking into. I told many of my friends that the only way for what Scheller did, to make sense to me, is if he follows through. The groundwork has been laid, and the movement is underway. The words “America needs leaders, not politicians” can be found at the top of his website followed by these words.  “America’s Problem: The American representative democracy’s greatest threat is the current state of divisiveness. Great Republics don’t fail from external forces. Like ancient Rome and Yugoslavia, they fail from internal strife and decay. This often-unspoken problem corrodes the American way of life from the inside. The polarization of key departments in the American government, such as defense and justice, are symptomatic of the same problem. Furthermore, the critical issues facing America’s future (national debt, immigration, and an ineffective military system to name a few) are consistently unaddressed because solutions don’t fall perfectly in-line with one political party’s dogma. The American people are at an inflection point and must decide soon if the current form of government still serves their interests”. Tonight, we will find out from Stuart Scheller himself about his choices, his follow-through, and his upcoming book, “Crisis of Command”.  LtCol. Scheller, Sir thanks for coming on the show to chat for a bit. I want to end up where the monologue ends, but I need to know how we got here.

Marcus Rains joins the show to talk about his time in and out of combat. We reminisce about our days pranking young bucks at the schoolhouse and discuss life. I true hero and friend. Marcus launched a new initiative not long ago, he is now in the lawn maintenance profession with his company Rains and Sons L.L.C.

Kyle O'Toole Joins the show to talk about fitness and recovery. He is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wounded Warrior Battalion - East. He is responsible for the weightlifting and recovery process for recovering service members' RSMs. This is where the nation's wounded Marine warfighters as well as the ill and injured go to get better.

Alex Tryon is an American Marine Scout Sniper. He has been in multiple theaters of operation and made some incredible impacts on his fellow brothers in arms. He fought in Syria where his element was cut off for a number of days. With a kinetic fight at hand, Alex issued out American resolve at ranges exceeding 1400 meters. This is a "can't miss" episode!

In this episode we have our first returning guest Johnny "MF" Glenn. We discuss a number of different topics from his epic ranger school story, his up coming trip to Saipan and his opinion of the current state of things in the world. If you missed his first episode check out episode 9 for more back story on this great American war fighter. Thanks for Listening.

The Vietnam generation paved the way for my generation of warfighters to get help and establish the Veterans Administration as we know it today. Some of the men from this generation chronicled their war exploits and published them for the rest of the world to know what happened there. This is/was more important than you can imagine. Without written testimony and first-hand accounts from the ground, we as a people, could never properly learn from it.  One of the more detailed books on the Vietnam conflict is called Battlelines. It was written by LtCol. David B. Brown USMC (retired) and his lovely daughter Tiffany Brown Holmes. LtCol. Brown earned a Silver Star medal for Gallantry in combat. He was a Company Commander in Vietnam, who took over command of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, shortly after they cleared Hue City.  Following his time in Vietnam, first as an advisor and then as the Fox Company Commander, Brown had a distinguished career in the Marine Corps. LtCol Brown instructed at the U.S. Naval Academy and headed up the Marine Corps procurement budget. Upon retirement, he was a logistics consultant for both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy. He served as the director of the 2nd Marine Division Association, he has published numerous articles in the Marine Corps Gazette, and the Amphibious War Review. He has also authored books on training, automated information systems, and logistics. He remains very active in his local community and is in the process of writing another book.

The Vietnam generation paved the way for my generation of warfighters to get help and establish the Veterans Administration as we know it today. Some of the men from this generation chronicled their war exploits and published them for the rest of the world to know what happened there. This is/was more important than you can imagine. Without written testimony and first-hand accounts from the ground, we as a people, could never properly learn from it.  One of the more detailed books on the Vietnam conflict is called Battlelines. It was written by LtCol. David B. Brown USMC (retired) and his lovely daughter Tiffany Brown Holmes. LtCol. Brown earned a Silver Star medal for Gallantry in combat. He was a Company Commander in Vietnam, who took over command of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, shortly after they cleared Hue City.  Following his time in Vietnam, first as an advisor and then as the Fox Company Commander, Brown had a distinguished career in the Marine Corps. LtCol Brown instructed at the U.S. Naval Academy and headed up the Marine Corps procurement budget. Upon retirement, he was a logistics consultant for both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy. He served as the director of the 2nd Marine Division Association, he has published numerous articles in the Marine Corps Gazette, and the Amphibious War Review. He has also authored books on training, automated information systems, and logistics. He remains very active in his local community and is in the process of writing another book.

In this episode, we talk with John David Rogers III. He is my older brother, a personal confidante, and someone whom I have learned a great deal from. Tonight we talk about some of the poverty-stricken areas in southern Ohio, the rise of Joe Burrow, and the things we can do and not do to set ourselves and our children up for success. This is a great episode for all who listen.

Jonathan Myers is a retired Marine with more than 20 years of Marine intelligence experience. He was in on some of the Marine Corps' most involved intelligence cases, from Edward Snowden's theft of intelligence to amphibious operations in Africa. The catalyst to our meeting however, originated in the catastrophic withdraw from Afghanistan. He joins us tonight to talk it all over.   

This episode is meant to illuminate critical after-action reports and lessons learned from the first world war. Instead of American after-actions, this is by one Captain Adolph Von Schell. "Captain Von Schell's collection of lessons learned as a small unit infantry commander during World War 1 should be part of every Marine's professional library"  -D.M. Twomey  Major General, U.S. Marine Corps

In this episode, we talk to Harlan "Slim" Hardy about all things "oil-field" related. We also delve into some of his side work and his artistic side.  Anyone interested in the oil field should really get a lot from this episode.

In this episode, Adam Franco talks about the experiences being raised by a firefighter in New York pre 9/11, as well as the impact that it had on him, to see his father return to New York after retirement to dig through the World Trade Center Towers rubble for survivors. This incident had a profound impact on his future. He would play football for the Merchant Marine Academy and then became commissioned as a Marine officer after. Adam Franco was the Platoon Commander of a Platoon of Marines in Marjah Afghanistan when Matt and I were there in 2010. A true warrior!

In this episode, Matt and I talk about the critical nature of having a purpose in life bigger than one's self. In this vein, we talk about transition out of the ranks and filling the void. When someone exits the ranks, it is common to hear that they lose some sense of purpose. A sense of purpose was filled by serving, in whatever capacity the service was. In my own transition, it became critical to my well-being to strive for something outside myself. this episode is an attempt at passing that information forward.

The geopolitical situation being what it is, there has never been another time when it was important to be and stay ready. Even with no enemy to set your sights on, and direct your training. You are in the business of being ready!

Michael Grimes was a member of the 2nd Squad in the push of Marjah with 3/6, Kilo Company, Second Platoon. The episode covers that deployment from a junior Marine's eyes. We talk tales of combat and some of his transition out of the Corps. Grimes was then and continues to be comedic relief to all those around him. A dear friend and brother of Matt and Ryan.

Robert Harrell AKA "SHREK" talks to the podcast about many things in this episode. He served in the Army as a firefighter amongst other things and then continued his career in the fire services once he ended his active duty time. He is the epitome of a selfless individual, even in the face of overwhelming adversity in his rearing years. Shrek then talks about PTSD and complex PTSD as it pertains to him, and some of the transitional remedies that help him thrive, in spite of the cards he was given. Please follow along and learn from the ones that have come before you and in some cases after you.

This video features Johnny Glenn, a dear friend, and brother in arms. After 10 plus deployments to Afghanistan and other places in the world on behalf of our freedom, Johnny joins the podcast to give insight into the war and his career. A real warfighter! Thanks for listening.

This episode features Gunny John Wayne Williams - Tales of Iraq in the triangle of death, as well as the heroic bravery and courage under fire, that earned this man the Bronze Star (V). In this engagement, while attached to an ODA outfit, John Wayne is put under an ISIS combined arms dilemma. Complete with technical vehicles, suicide bombers, and enemy mortars. Then the vehicle is rocked by a Anti Tank wire Guided Missile. Don't miss this epic account of the war against ISIS.  Thanks for Listening.   www.louisianagunshop.com/pages/cnc

Join us at the Louisiana Gun Shop as we talk to Harlan Baublit, the owner of LGS and sole sponsor of the Podcast. We talk about his life growing up as well as his business ventures with explosives, guns, and training. Harlan shows off some of his favorite builds and greatest deals. The LGS is also serving all 50 states through the online site at  www.louisianagunshop.com/pages/cnc.   Harlan offers military discounts as well as some of the best deals on weapons and accessories. The LGS offers a Myriad of services such as explosives training, concealed carry classes, weapons and accessories, as well as laser engraving. They also have loads of literature and good information regarding insurance for your rights to carry and be protected legally in the face of defending ones self.    Any of the builds featured in this episode can be replicated if they are no longer available. We hope you enjoy the episode and we know that if you fancy yourself a gun nut, you will love this content! If you want to see the builds covered in this episode visit our Facebook or Youtube pages @choicesnotchancepodcast. Thanks for Listening

In this episode we interview Gunny James Finny. We will discuss his childhood, military service and philosophy of the warrior. Thanks for listening.

In this episode of Choices Not Chances, the book review is coming to a close and we discuss not getting LCpl. Rhoads (the Commanding Officer's radio operator) killed. The calm of Marines that constantly live outside the wire, the 5 day war, and developing tactics with Sgt. Joey Harms. Runner teams were  developed to close with the enemy faster while in Marjah. THANKS FOR LISTENING.

In this episode we are joined by Johnny Glen and James Finney. Johnny spent an entire career with ODA teams in the Army. Logging in 10 pumps to Afghanistan following his time in Iraq. James Finney is an active duty Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. Serving the past 15 years waging war and imposing America's will on the enemies of the State. This is our attempt at thanking the past 20 years of warfighters for their service, and an attempt to combat some of the negative emotions derived from the Afghanistan withdraw as well as address the "self victimization" of some of those within the ranks. 

This episode is a continuation of the "Lions of Marjah" book review. We will discuss "The Hunting of Man" and atmospherics of the battles space. We also talk about C.A.G. operations in the Camp Hanson area. In closing the transition from Camp Hanson to the Five Points area will be covered. Thanks for listening.

This episode is a continuation of the "Lions of Marjah" book review. We will discuss the taking of MEB objective two in the battle of Marjah. We will also cover the consolidation of forces in the battle space, and the infamous "Big One"! Thanks for listening.

This episode is a continuation of the Lions of Marjah book review. Getting in and out of the mud, and establishing first contact with the enemy. As well as the second day of combat on the ground in Marjah. We hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening.

Episode One of the show you will meet the host, Ryan Rogers, and the co-host, Matthew Charette. They will discuss why they wanted to start the podcast and begin reviewing Ryan's recently released book "Lions of Marjah". The book chronicles the helicopter assault on Marjah, Afghanistan in 2010 by 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, Kilo company, told through Ryan's eyes. Matt was a team leader in Ryan's squad and will add insight from his view of the deployment. This will give an added perspective to the readers of "Lions Of Marjah". Thank you for listening. 

This trailer is a sneak peek of the upcoming first episode.