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Veteran Dad Podcast

Veteran Dad Podcast

Written by: Veteran Dad Podcast
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 Veteran Dad Podcast is an audio series designed for Veterans, by Veterans, that focuses on life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity within 21st Century America. Hosts — Adam T. Cummings and Bob Althage served in the Marine Corps together. More than a decade later, they come back together again to share vulnerable takes, hilarious stories, and sage advice as they chronicle this new chapter of Fatherhood in their lives. Subscribe for future episodes consisting of conversations with Adam and Bob, interviews with other Veteran Dads, and research into what’s out there for those struggling to get up off the couch and begin living life forward again. The world is shifting with tectonic proportions — all we can do is prepare ourselves for it's continuous churn. Join us weekly and learn what it takes to become the best Dad you can be. Let’s dive in.2025 Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Self-Help Spirituality Success
Episodes
  • Letting Go to Reel It In -- Ep. 008

    Letting Go to Reel It In -- Ep. 008
    Jul 30 2025
    I just returned from a looong 2600 mile road trip to Nebraska and back, visiting friends and family, while getting some much needed R&R. Although the trip went off without a hitch, I found myself upside down and backwards quite a few times along the way. I tried to maintain my level of discipline on the road, as if I was home, and although found success in it for the first half — I quickly found myself climbing a sand hill once week 3 commenced. An internal battle had begun in an attempt to get me to have some fun. Finally, I let go. The strictness I tend to live with, went by the wayside, and I began enjoying some time not trying to be perfect. It was fun letting go for the first time in 2 years. It was refreshing to see how far I’ve come since I stopped leading a lifestyle that has me enjoying such things on a regular basis. However, I’m home now and I’m struggling to reel it back in. Now, given the fact we only have 3 more weeks until our 16-year old starts 11th grade, means I could let myself slide a little bit longer. But my old self is already beginning to surface as my body breaks down from the poor dietary choices and lack of solid sleep. This is why I have trouble letting go into vacation mode to begin with. Granted, my 31-day journey across the U.S. is not a normal vacation experience. But I know I’m not the only one out there who struggles with reeling it back in once the proverbial lure’s been thrown out again. So, How do we know when it’s time to let go? How do we determine when it’s time to become disciplined again? How do we enjoy ourselves at the appropriate times, in the appropriate ways, to feed that inner wolf without self-destruction rearing its ugly head?! These are the questions we’re focusing on in today’s episode, Let’s dive in. Follow our social media pages: Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/1FWsPpcm3H/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VeteranDadPodcast⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13261037/⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/veteran_dad_podcast?igsh=a3M4OWY4ajN3bHg%3D&utm_source=qr⁠⁠ X/Twitter: ⁠⁠https://x.com/VetDadPodcast⁠⁠ Shoot us an email with any questions or requests at: veterandadpodcast@gmail.com
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    35 mins
  • Surrender Isn't Giving Up P.2 -- Ep. 007.2

    Surrender Isn't Giving Up P.2 -- Ep. 007.2
    Jul 28 2025
    Part 2 of the 2-Part Interview with Dr. Carlos Garcia --------------------------- Episode Monologue: I crawled into 2020 not wanting to live anymore. The 11 year journey to rock-bottom led me down a path to better understanding why I was so fucked up. 5-years later and I’m on the mend, off the couch, and forward living for the first time since separating from the Military. Back in 2017 — I had set out to learn why so many other Veterans, like myself, struggled after service to create a life worth living again for themselves. It didn’t make sense to me that so many smart, strong, and capable human beings in their youths would become shells of their former selves decades after service. At this point, 22 brothers and sisters a day were still killing themselves post-war which was 18x more lives lost than in actual combat throughout the last 25 years. Through an immersion into my own healing journey and subsequent transformation from it — I feel like I can bring clarity to this continuing issue today. 8 years ago, there was no true definition of PTSD. Today, I innerstand my own enough to manage it and live forward again. Same with Fibromyalgia — a condition that has crippled me until now. Scientistsand doctors still don’t really know what it is — yet, I’ve learned to manage it and can live a physical life once again. A big part of this shift was accepting that I’ll never be a 25-year old Marine Sergeant again. I’ll never be able to train like a spartan warrior again. I’ll never be able to work 18-hour days, 100-hour weeks, and still hit the gym 5x through out it again. The big acceptance came from realizing that I don’t actually want those things for myself anymore. Part of this healing journey was learning who I actually was and who I am truly becoming. Accepting who I’ve been and who I am no longer. Which facing my mortality as a Marine and GOD-forbid physical maturity has been difficult to say the least. There is no glory, dying in your sleep at 65. There’s only glory in giving life for purpose. Yet, I have given life for purpose. I gave the better years of my youth to understanding the plight so many of us go through, losing friends, careers, and lucrative opportunities along the way. I needed to learn why I hated everyone and everything — especially myself. I knew back then, that no matter how successful I was externally, all the pain inside would lead me to ruining it. So I gave up everything for a better understanding of myself, which has become an immense innerstanding, and now I am mended living forward once again as I continue to heal and always stay figuring it out. I mean, if I eat avocado oil — forgetta bout it, inflamed, in-pain, and out of my mind for days. Yet I now know the causes of such pain and insanity allowing me to curtail my life to mitigate symptoms. However, I know there are actual cures out there for what we all face. Part of this podcast’s purpose is to chronicle known remedies and cutting-edge modalities while discovering new ones. Yet, healing will always start and end with the greatest common factor — YOU. You have to choose to go through the fear and pain to heal, as well as all the “nevers” you said you’d never do. Yet, on the other side of this surrender through humility is true happiness through relief. It starts with a choice and it can start today. Let’s Jump In. ---------------------------------- Follow our social media pages: Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/1FWsPpcm3H/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VeteranDadPodcast⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13261037/⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/veteran_dad_podcast?igsh=a3M4OWY4ajN3bHg%3D&utm_source=qr⁠ X/Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/VetDadPodcast⁠ Shoot us an email with any questions or requests at: veterandadpodcast@gmail.com
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    38 mins
  • Surrender Isn't Giving Up P.1 -- Ep. 007

    Surrender Isn't Giving Up P.1 -- Ep. 007
    Jul 16 2025
    I crawled into 2020 not wanting to live anymore. The 11 year journey to rock-bottom led me down a path to better understanding why I was so fucked up. 5-years later and I’m on the mend, off the couch, and forward living for the first time since separating from the Military. Back in 2017 — I had set out to learn why so many other Veterans, like myself, struggled after service to create a life worth living again for themselves. It didn’t make sense to me that so many smart, strong, and capable human beings in their youths would become shells of their former selves decades after service. At this point, 22 brothers and sisters a day were still killing themselves post-war which was 18x more lives lost than in actual combat throughout the last 25 years. Through an immersion into my own healing journey and subsequent transformation from it — I feel like I can bring clarity to this continuing issue today. 8 years ago, there was no true definition of PTSD. Today, I innerstand my own enough to manage it and live forward again. Same with Fibromyalgia — a condition that has crippled me until now. Scientistsand doctors still don’t really know what it is — yet, I’ve learned to manage it and can live a physical life once again. A big part of this shift was accepting that I’ll never be a 25-year old Marine Sergeant again. I’ll never be able to train like a spartan warrior again. I’ll never be able to work 18-hour days, 100-hour weeks, and still hit the gym 5x through out it again. The big acceptance came from realizing that I don’t actually want those things for myself anymore. Part of this healing journey was learning who I actually was and who I am truly becoming. Accepting who I’ve been and who I am no longer. Which facing my mortality as a Marine and GOD-forbid physical maturity has been difficult to say the least. There is no glory, dying in your sleep at 65. There’s only glory in giving life for purpose. Yet, I have given life for purpose. I gave the better years of my youth to understanding the plight so many of us go through, losing friends, careers, and lucrative opportunities along the way. I needed to learn why I hated everyone and everything — especially myself. I knew back then, that no matter how successful I was externally, all the pain inside would lead me to ruining it. So I gave up everything for a better understanding of myself, which has become an immense innerstanding, and now I am mended living forward once again as I continue to heal and always stay figuring it out. I mean, if I eat avocado oil — forgetta bout it, inflamed, in-pain, and out of my mind for days. Yet I now know the causes of such pain and insanity allowing me to curtail my life to mitigate symptoms. However, I know there are actual cures out there for what we all face. Part of this podcast’s purpose is to chronicle known remedies and cutting-edge modalities while discovering new ones. Yet, healing will always start and end with the greatest common factor — YOU. You have to choose to go through the fear and pain to heal, as well as all the “nevers” you said you’d never do. Yet, on the other side of this surrender through humility is true happiness through relief. It starts with a choice and it can start today. Let’s Jump In. Follow our social media pages: Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/1FWsPpcm3H/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VeteranDadPodcast⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13261037/⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/veteran_dad_podcast?igsh=a3M4OWY4ajN3bHg%3D&utm_source=qr⁠ X/Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/VetDadPodcast⁠ Shoot us an email with any questions or requests at: veterandadpodcast@gmail.com
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    32 mins
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