Captain John A. Konrad V is a proud alumnus of the New York Maritime College, a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and a US Merchant Marine officer.

In 2006, he founded gCaptain and has been serving as its CEO ever since, helping it become the world's most popular maritime news website with a record-breaking 2 million monthly page views. His entrepreneurial spirit also led me to co-found UnofficialNetworks.com, the leading mountain sports news platform, which has amassed over 100 million page views since its beginning.

Holding a 'United States Master of Vessels any gross tons, upon ocean' (Master Unlimited) license, John's maritime leadership encompasses several world-record-breaking offshore exploration projects. He had the privilege to serve as Chief Maritime Officer during the discovery of Reliance KG-D6, the then world's largest natural gas deposit, in partnership with Mukesh and Anil Ambani. Later, as Chief Officer for Chevron, they achieved a world record for drilling the deepest well. His versatile skills also extend to managing shipyard operations and supervising the construction of cutting-edge vessels.

John is an active member of the Council of American Master Mariners, American Merchant Marine Veteran Association, and the Navy League of the United States, and holds an Associate Fellow position at the Nautical Institute. His work in the maritime industry earned him the US Navy Combined Maritime Forces Naval Support Award and the Fort Schuyler Distinguished Alumni Of The Year award.

Larry Teakell, an Army veteran and recipient of the Soldier's Medal, returns to talk about his new book "From Fire to Forge" about his time spent as a combat medic in Iraq, his heroic efforts to save the life at the time of SPC Heredia, and how forging steel became his therapy for the PTSD that followed. Larry is truly the best of us in this country and his story is one that we cannot lose as we grow further from the GWOT.

Author Mark Sibley’s Mongol Moon explores how a global war ignites — and what follows when the world goes dark. In this in-depth expansion, Voodoo turns his focus to the African continent, showing how the conflict unfolds on the ground and in the lives of those forced to survive it. Drawing on his experience as an Infantry Officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, his deep recall of 20th-century warfare, and his love of a good scotch, he brings a gritty realism and human perspective to the chaos that follows when the lights go out and only the prepared endure.