Join us on Operation Insight as we host Captains Kim & Dakota, co-founders of the Reveille & Retreat Project and co-hosts of Dog Tag Diaries!

It's June 11th, 2001, and millions of Americans are tuning in for NBC's newest reality television show. Coupled with overly dramatic music and a montage of contestants attempting seemingly death-defying stunts, the narration begins, "Imagine a world where your greatest fears become reality...this is Fear Factor!" After the show's host, Joe Rogan, rattled off a disclaimer, the show began with contestant introductions, the last of whom was a woman named Sonia, who explained she never expected to be on the show before saying, "Now, I'm gonna see what I can do!" About five minutes later, in the inaugural episode, Sonia was gone. She was the first to be eliminated after failing to jump from one moving tractor-trailer to another. Joe Rogan gave Sonia a pat on the back and sent her home. But that was television, not reality.

In reality, women don't have to "imagine a world where your greatest fears become reality," because they're living it on a daily basis. Female service members, specifically, encounter abuse, discrimination, and ridicule every day from their male counterparts when all they want to do is serve their country, bravely and honorably. Captains Kim Liszka and Dakota Olson-Harris are examples of such American heroes. Both have stood watch and stood tall in the face of adversity, extending their service beyond the uniform through their creation of the Reveille & Retreat Project. Additionally, they founded the Dog Tag Diaries podcast, a space in which military women can "tell their stories and speak their truths" while also "raising awareness about military trauma...and fostering a supportive community where women can find strength and inspiration in each other's stories."

In the first episode of our fifth season, hosts Jason and Ethan are incredibly honored to be joined by Kim and Dakota, two patriots who speak candidly and vulnerably about service and struggles. Their stories matter; female veterans' stories matter; and we are proud to highlight the important work being done by the Reveille & Retreat Project team, who expertly craft healing journeys for women in need. Happy New Year to our audience, and please enjoy this episode!

(00:00) Disclaimer

(01:01) Introduction

(49:01) The Dog Tag Diaries

(1:00:25) Reveille & Retreat Project

(1:07:38) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we welcome Lieutenant Colonel Mike Vincent!

After leading a heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday" sung to Jesus Christ, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman announces to his Marine Corps recruits, "Today is Christmas!" During this scene in the oft-cited and critically acclaimed film Full Metal Jacket, the Senior Drill Instructor says things not normally included in a yuletide message, such as, "You can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the Corps!" So, in the spirit of Christmas and having missed our opportunity to properly wish the Marines a "Happy 250th Birthday," Operation Insight is proud to present LtCol Michael E. Vincent! Mike is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and embodies the motto "For God, Country, and the Corps!" After twenty years of service and a couple of badly-timed deployment announcements, Mike and his family returned to St. Charles County. Not only that, but Mike returned to his former place of employment, his father-in-law's HVAC company, while simultaneously pursuing his passion for personal coaching.

Mike is also on a mission to convert his beloved Marine Corps from believing in a definition of resilience that relies heavily upon the idea of American bravado. Despite its lukewarm reception in the series of Rocky Balboa films, Rocky III actually provides a clear picture of the type of resilience for which LtCol Vincent advocates. In one scene, Apollo Creed, Rocky's rival-turned-friend, coaches him before the film's pivotal fight: "If you stand toe-to-toe with this chump, he'll kill you. He's just a man, Rock, so be more man than him! Eye Of the Tiger!" As crazy as it might sound, the Marine Corps and America's fighting forces have something to learn from that mindset. Mike argues that mental agility and adaptation are more important than rock-solid sturdiness and toughness when defining resilience. That is the type of mindset Mike strove to maintain as a Marine, and it's the same one he hopes will save lives today. President Reagan is quoted as saying, "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in this world. Marines don't have that problem." Veterans like Mike make our community and our country better and stronger. It is an honor to celebrate this year’s end and commemorate our season finale with LtCol Vincent’s deeply moving and motivating interview!

(00:00) Disclaimer

(01:22) Introduction

(24:00) Remembrances of 9/11

(31:04) OCS & Choosing to Stay

(36:16) Durable Skills

(39:32) An Okie in Oki & Deploying

(54:41) Twentynine Palms: No Beach Days but Some of the Best Days

(1:02:29) Combat Zone HVAC & Logistics in No Man's Land

(1:19:37) DLI & Managing Stress in Cali

(1:31:16) Reflections, Resilience & Rocky

(1:50:58) Closing

Join us on Operation Insight as we host Private First Class Walter "Wally" Mayer!

As the sun sets this evening, Jewish people across the globe will begin celebrating Hanukkah. Despite its status as a "minor" holiday on the Jewish calendar, it has become one of the most widely recognized Jewish traditions. This is likely due to the use of the Menorah and the lighting of its eight candles. The act of lighting a candle each night during the dead of winter represents the miraculous flame that remained lit in a Jewish temple for eight straight days despite the shortage of oil.

Eight years after our guest Walter "Wally" Mayer was born into a German-Jewish family, an evil, tyrannical man would complete his usurpation of power and declare that der Vaterland had become das Dritte Reich...the Third Reich. The plight of Nazism would soon cascade upon neighboring countries, and a second World War would ensue. Miraculously, Wally and his family were about to escape before becoming victims of the Shoah...the Holocaust. As the family fled by train, Wally's father, a World War I veteran, tossed his military medals out the window and began to cry. Wally has never forgotten what his father said next: "We're never coming back."

The Mayer family eventually immigrated to the United States and found their way to St. Louis, Missouri. Shortly after finishing school, Wally was drafted into the Army and served in both Hawaii and the Pacific Theater during World War II. To put it lightly, Wally has experienced his fair share of hardships, and then some, but it is with humility, humor, and tremendous honesty that he reflects back on his life. We present this episode in honor of the millions of innocent lives lost during the Holocaust. We honor the memory of the Jewish men, women, and children forced into concentration camps and forced to stare death in the face. We are inspired by the numerous anecdotes of Jewish prisoners risking their lives to secretly celebrate Hanukkah. They courageously held to their faith and demonstrated that, despite the unimaginable darkness that surrounded them, their spirit and Jewish identity could not be extinguished.

(00:00) Disclaimer

(01:22) Introduction

(31:51) Secrets & Sun in Hawaii

(35:07) Entering the Pacific Theater

(39:28) Post-WWII

(48:29) Antisemitism

(49:33) Family

(51:38) Sharing Laughs

(53:44) Reflecting & Imparting Wisdom

(59:11) Closing