Mentors4mil Podcast

Ryan Reitmeier: A Journey Through Trauma and Healing

987 views · 4mo ago · 1:47:23

Guest: Ryan Reitmeier

A candid conversation with a former athlete-turned-sailor who navigates baseball ambitions, service in the Marines and Army, family struggles with a special-needs child, a serious car accident, and a long path through trauma.

Topics: Joining the Navy & Choosing RP (Religious Program Specialist) · Marine Corps Duty Station — Yuma, AZ & Faith Journey · Family Challenges — EFMP & Daughter’s Diagnosis · Generational Trauma & Mental Health Realizations · Transition to the Army — Commissioning & OCS · Car Accident — Injuries & Start of Medical Board Process

Find a Way: Lessons from Major General Pete Gallagher

1K views · 4mo ago · 1:29:27

Pete Gallagher recounts a 35-year military career that spans small-town roots, mentorship, leading elite communications units, and driving Army network modernization. He highlights problem-solving, multidisciplinary teamwork, and the ‘find a way’ mindset learned at the tip of the spear.

Topics: Fort Gordon & 3rd Infantry Division in Germany · Desert Shield/Storm and Special Ops Selection · Joining the Special Mission Unit (1993) / Somalia Rehearsals · Black Hawk Down — Arrival & Mass Casualties (Oct 1993) · 25th Infantry Division (Hawaii) — Applying SOF Lessons · Early Afghanistan Operations — Rhino/Gecko & Tech Challenges

Colonel Ian Palmer: Leading Through Crisis

563 views · 5mo ago · 1:53:06

Guest: Colonel Ian Palmer

Ian Palmer is a retired U.S. Army Colonel with more than 26 years of experience leading organizations in complex, global, and high-stakes environments. He commanded at every echelon from platoon to brigade combat team, culminating in service as Chief of Staff of the III Armored Corps, where he led the synchronization of operations and strategy for a 90,000-person organization across five Army installations.

Topics: Choosing Armor branch · First assignment at Fort Hood — Force 21 · Germany, division staff, Kosovo & Turkey planning · Squadron command at JBLM & Pacific Pathways · Joining and standing up 1st SFAB · Brigade command at Fort Hood & scrutiny

Nick Merrick: U.S. Army Special Forces - Community, Competition, and Purpose

1K views · 6mo ago · 1:30:29

Guest: Nick Merrick

Nick recounts his path from infantry recruit to Green Beret, sharing intense selection stories, combat and training experiences, and a defining leadership moment where empowering a junior soldier changed a career. He also describes his transition out of active duty and how he founded Green Beret Racing/Battle of the Branches to build community, competition, and purpose for veterans struggling with life after service.

Topics: Airborne, Alaska & early assignments · Meeting Master Sgt. Tony Yost & combat · Becoming 18C — Russian linguist & group assignments · Leading a team — empowerment & culture · SF vs other SOF & mission differences · Building partner capacity — the Ukraine example

Matt Butler: From Green Beret to Shamanism - One Man's Journey to Heal

552 views · 6mo ago · 1:50:26

Guest: Matt Butler

Matt Butler grew up in rural Utah and joined the Army in 1990, serving for 27 years, 20 of those as a Green Beret, including several times with the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Matt deployed six times to both Iraq's and Afghanistan for a total of over 40 months in combat before he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Topics: Small Talk: Newnan, Alan Jackson & concert story · Homecoming: Utah and post-service life · Family military history & decision to join · Choosing the Green Beret path & early SF interest · 3rd Group, Africa focus & Afghanistan handoff · Ranger School experiences and recycle

📖 Mentioned book: Green Beret Shamanism Mans Journey

From Enlisted Electrician to Submarine Commander: A Nuclear Journey

542 views · 7mo ago · 1:32:28

U.S. Navy Commander Will Spears shares his path from enlisting as a nuclear electrician to becoming a submarine officer, detailing intense training, life aboard attack and ballistic submarines, and the realities of operating nuclear propulsion undersea.

Topics: Why He Joined the U.S. Navy · Applying to the Naval Academy & transition · Choosing submarines (birthday ball story) · First assignments: Guam & Pearl Harbor · Attack vs ballistic missile submarines · Depth, cavitation & tactical factors

📖 Mentioned book: Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy

📰 Mentioned news: substack

Omar Melendez - One Shot: Owning Failure and Leading Forward

6.5K views · 7mo ago · 1:38:39

Guest: Omar Melendez

Omar tells his journey from Brooklyn to becoming a Ranger and First Sergeant, sharing how a mortar mistake became a key teaching moment about integrity, trust, and learning. He describes imposter syndrome, the grind of selection and Ranger life, and why humility and mentorship matter.

Topics: Early Life — Brooklyn & Queens · Joining the Army — Choosing Infantry · Fort Hood & MOS (11C) — Early Deployments · Seeing the Rangers — Decision to Join 75th · Reporting to 1st Ranger Battalion — Initial Integration · Advice for Imports — Humility & Prepare-to-Learn

Matt Hill - Damn the Valley: A Paratrooper’s Helmand Story

1.9K views · 8mo ago · 1:32:55

Guest: Matt Hill

Matt Hill recounts his 28-year Army career, from growing up an Army brat, joining the Army after high school, early deployments in Bosnia and Kosovo, to the 2003 Iraq invasion and multiple tours in Afghanistan, including intense combat in Helmand’s Arghandab River Valley.

Topics: First Assignment: Fort Hood & Mechanized Units · Deployment to Bosnia: Peacekeeping & Mine Threats · Kosovo Deployment · Airborne School, Jumpmaster & Benning Instructor Duty · Invasion of Iraq · Early Combat Operations

From BUD/S to Boardroom: A SEAL's Journey into Business & Venture Capital

202 views · 8mo ago · 1:23:39

Former Navy SEAL Todd shares his path from intense SEAL training and deployments to corporate security, entrepreneurship, and venture investing in defense tech. The episode covers BUD/S stories, transitions to civilian life, founding businesses (including Kill Cliff), supporting the Navy SEAL Foundation, and practical career advice for veterans.

Topics: BUD/s Entry · Graduation reflections & the SEAL brotherhood · Early civilian work: Wall Street interview & contracting · Mentorship, education views & entrepreneurial pivot · Starting companies & the dual-business anecdote · Navy SEAL Foundation: genesis, mission & impact

U.S. Army Ranger and First Sergeant Jason Belford. The War Inside Me.

2.6K views · 9mo ago · 1:37:09

Jason Belford spent 20 years in the U.S. Army, and he gave nearly 17 years to the war in Afghanistan as an infantryman, sniper, platoon sergeant and Army Ranger. He went on 12 deployments to the country and to Iraq as a member of 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment and the 10th Mountain Divisions.

Topics: Army Training: Fort Benning & Fort Polk · Sniper School & Choosing the Rangers · Ranger School Graduation & 75th Ranger Regiment · Joining 75th Ranger Regiment as an Import & RASP Experience · Imposter Syndrome, Pride & Self‐Reflection · Needing Help and Immediate Intervention

📖 Mentioned book: The War Inside Me

EP-405 | Shawn Robertson - Humble Climb, Forged Leader

765 views · 10mo ago · 1:22:05

This episode follows Sean Robertson’s journey from a junior enlisted soldier in Georgia to a commissioned officer and leader—driven by the Green to Gold program, mentorship, and relentless self-improvement. Sean overcomes barriers including low test scores and a diagnosed heart murmur, leverages mentors and education (University of Hawaii, Columbia, Naval War College), and serves in key assignments from the 173rd Airborne to the NSA and West Point.

Topics: Transitioning to the Military · First Assignment - 25th ID · Tough Love from an NCO and The Decision to Become an Officer · Overcoming Medical Challenges · Understanding Green to Gold · Military Intelligence

From Climbing Walls to Ranger Glory: Luke Ebeling’s Gritty Journey

9.4K views · 10mo ago · 1:42:04

Luke Ebeling shares his journey from Colorado climber and college ROTC cadet to serving in Alaska, joining the Ranger Regiment, winning the Best Ranger Competition, and transitioning to civilian life. He discusses mentorship, endurance-focused training, balancing family with military ambition, and founding Atlas Training Solutions to help others prepare for demanding selections and build tactical endurance.

Topics: Growing up in Colorado · Choosing Montana State · Airborne School · Cultural Experiences in Djibouti · ROTC - Shadowing in Ranger Regiment · Commissioning and College Life

AI and Technology on the Battlefield: Who Pulls the Trigger?

171 views · 11mo ago · 58:19

EP-403 | AI on the Battlefield: Who Pulls the Trigger? This episode explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping warfare — from ISR, targeting, drone swarms and decision support to the ethical risks of losing human control.

Topics: AI on the Battlefield · Lessons from the Pacific · Ethical Considerations of AI Technology · The Human Element to Decisions · The Future of AI in the U.S. Military · Final Thoughts on AI on the the Battlefield

Alfred Brenner: I Felt Like I Was Dying - A Marine K9 Handler’s True Story

533 views · 12mo ago · 1:28:05

Guest: Alfred Brenner

In this episode Alfred recounts his unexpected journey into the Marines, training as a K-9 handler, and the harrowing experience of an IED explosion in Afghanistan that cost him his dog, Grief, and left him seriously wounded. He shares the chaos of combat, the bond between handler and dog, and the long road of recovery.

Topics: Entering the world of K9 Handling · Building Bonds with Grief · The Realities of Combat · The Kandahar Deployment · The Worst Day Ever · The Long Recovery

📖 Mentioned book: Surviving with Grief

U.S. Army Cav Scout and Pilot, Zahraa Leonhardt: Escape from Iraq

4.1K views · 1y ago · 1:50:54

In this episode, Zahraa shares her harrowing journey growing up in a strict village in Iraq, her decision to flee at 19, and a violent attack that led to an unexpected rescue by American soldiers at Baghdad International Airport.

Topics: Growing Up in Iraq · Reactions to 9/11 from Iraq · The Struggle for Freedom · The Decision to Escape & the Plan · A Dangerous Arrival · A Dark Experience