Voice for Valor

He Couldn't Tell Them Goodbye. Then He Asked to Tell Their Stories First. | Josh Marlowe

Michael Komorous — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Josh Marlowe was a C-130 loadmaster with the 145th Airlift Wing and one of two men who survived the MAFFS 7 crash in South Dakota. Before he would talk about himself, he asked to tell the stories of the four crewmates he lost.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/josh-marlowe

He Quit Golf in His 20s. Then He Built a Foundation Around It. | Tony Miller

Michael Komorous — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Tony Miller retired from the Air Force at 38, helped grow his father's commercial door business, and shut it down after the 2008 housing crash. Now he leads an all-volunteer golf foundation for veterans and first responders and has written a book to get people talking again.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/tony-miller

An Injury Ended His Army Service in Basic Training. Then He Built a Voter App. | Paul Cummings

Michael Komorous — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Four herniated discs ended Paul Cummings' Army service in basic training. After years driving tour buses for musicians, he built the Handy Dandy Voter app so elected officials can see how their own constituents want them to vote.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/paul-cummings

He Thought About Hitting an IED. A Second Later, He Did. | Jason Rumbaugh

Michael Komorous — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Jason Rumbaugh was a combat engineer with the 82nd Engineer Battalion out of Bamberg, Germany, and served in Kosovo, then Iraq. Two weeks short of his 25th birthday he was riding TC in the lead vehicle, looking down at the window and thinking how much it would suck to get hit by an IED. Not even a second later, he was.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/jason-rumbaugh

He Died Three Times. Then He Built a Mission for Veterans. | Manny Harmon

Michael Komorous — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Manny Harmon was told he might never walk without a cane or walker again. His answer came from the Marine still inside him: who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/manny-harmon

He Said Over My Dead Body. She Traded a Podcast for a WWII Mural. | Jennifer Shepard

Michael Komorous — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0400

A three-thousand-square-foot wall in downtown Athens, Tennessee, covered in graffiti. The town treated the owner like he was crazy. Jennifer Shepard called anyway. First answer: over my dead body.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/he-said-over-my-dead-body-she-traded-a-podcast-for-a-wwii-mural

She Prepared Sailors to Leave. Then She Felt Useless Overnight. | Tamara Moore & Walter Matthews

Michael Komorous — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0400

After 26 years in the U.S. Navy—and years spent guiding sailors through their own transitions—Tamara Moore thought she was ready to retire. She wasn’t prepared for the loneliness, anxiety, identity loss, and feeling of becoming “useless” overnight.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/tamara-moore-walter-matthews

He Refused the COVID Vaccine. Then He Made "Unvaccinated" His Legal Name. | Jon Unvaccinated

Michael Komorous — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Jon Unvaccinated served about five years in the Air Force. When the COVID vaccine mandate came down he refused it and was separated — and he will tell you he is not anti-vaccine. He was going to take it. What stopped him was what was being done to civilians back home.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/he-refused-the-covid-vaccine-then-he-made-unvaccinated-his-legal-name

They Thought He Was Dead on the Road. Then He Made Chief | Chief James Brown

Michael Komorous — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -0400

James Brown enlisted in the Air National Guard at eighteen, straight out of a South Carolina high school he nearly didn't graduate from. Years later, coming off a divorce and drinking hard, he rode a motorcycle into the side of a van and woke up in the middle of the road with people standing over him who thought he was dead. He kept his career. He made Chief. And then he had to take the uniform off.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/james-brown

A Disaster and a Train Wreck at 17. Then the Marine Corps | SgtMaj Marc Chabot

Michael Komorous — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Marc Chabot describes the seventeen years before he enlisted as "a disaster and a train wreck" — divorce, alcohol, drugs, humiliation. A friend tapped him on the shoulder in high school and gave a Marine recruiter his phone number without asking. Twenty-one years later that recruiter stood at his promotion to sergeant major.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/marc-chabot

They Told Him the Unit Never Deploys. Then Britain Sent Him to Basra | Matthew Okuhara

Michael Komorous — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -0400

In 2003 a brown envelope landed on a doormat in rural England. Matt Okuhara was nineteen, working in banking, and a part-time reservist in a battalion the recruiter had promised would never be mobilised. Six months later he was an infantryman acting as his section's medic outside Basra hospital, buying bungee cords at a hardware store because the tourniquets weren't there.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/matthew-okuhara

There Is Hope: From Addiction to 13 Years Sober | Kathleen Kilcup

Michael Komorous — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Kathleen "Kate" Kilcup Marsh joined the Army as a Russian linguist, trained at Monterey, and lived with a host family in Russia. She got out believing the military had been the problem — and found the same person waiting on the other side. What followed was alcoholism, a coffee-shop job she was about to lose, food stamps traded for a place to sleep, and a gross blue sweater she lived in. This is the story of the morning she woke up on an anthill in Tahoe, and of the 13 years of sobriety that followed.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/kathleen-kilcup

She Was #2 in the Space Force. Then They Called Her Dishonorable | Col. Bree Fram

Michael Komorous — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Colonel Bree Fram was ranked #2 in the entire Space Force for promotion. A 23-year career — combat deployments to Iraq and Qatar, astronautical engineering, Pentagon acquisition policy, and helping stand up the Space Force itself. Then Executive Order 14183 gave her a choice: revert or get out. She ran for Congress in Virginia's 11th District until the state's redistricting fight ended the campaign in May 2026.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/bree-fram

He Led Hundreds of Thousands. Then Everything Stopped | Tony Whitehead

Michael Komorous — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

After more than 40 years in service — including advising the Chief of the National Guard Bureau — Tony Whitehead faced the one thing no leadership manual covers: losing your identity when the uniform comes off. This is an honest conversation about purpose, rank, and who you are without a mission.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/tony-whitehead

She Failed Out of College. Then She Flew for the Air Force | Bernadette Maldonado

Michael Komorous — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Bernadette Maldonado failed out of college her first semester. Her parents worked multiple jobs and swing shifts to keep food on the table. Years later, she was flying at 30,000 feet for the U.S. Air Force — and on her way to Capitol Hill.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/bernadette-maldonado

Pinned in the Dust as Tower 2 Fell | Clarence Singleton

Michael Komorous — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Vietnam veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and FDNY firefighter Clarence Singleton was in the rubble of the South Tower on 9/11 when he was pinned in the debris and gave up hope of survival.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/clarence-singleton

From Wall Street to 9/11 Legacy — Why He Walked Away From Everything | Chris Meek

Michael Komorous — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Chris Meek left a 16-year Wall Street career, earned a doctorate, wrote best-selling books, ran for Congress, and then stripped it all away to build the 9/11 Legacy Foundation — ensuring the next generation understands responsibility, agency, and the power to act when it matters most.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/chris-meek

She Led F-15 Maintenance Squadrons. Then the Silent Enemy Found Her | Angelina Stephens

Michael Komorous — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

For twenty years, Lt. Col. Angelina 'Strike' Stephens led hundreds of airmen, commanded F-15 Strike Eagle maintenance units, and served at the Pentagon. She survived deployments, injuries, and a decade of infertility. But behind the uniform was a hidden battle: severe postpartum depression and a year of silent suicidal ideation.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/angelina-stephens

25 Years in the Navy — Then He Learned a Truth No One Warns You About | Shelby Mounts

Michael Komorous — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

After 25 years as a Navy engineer, helicopter commander, and Pentagon leader, Captain Shelby Mounts was told his skills wouldn't translate to the civilian world. His answer was to take 100 coffees with 100 strangers, earn a Shell Oil fellowship, and eventually lead NextOp — the organization built to fix veteran underemployment.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/shelby-mounts

She Had It All. Then She Walked Away | Jody Brown

Michael Komorous — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Jody Brown left a well-paying civilian career to become a second lieutenant, failed her nursing board exams twice, and nearly quit the military entirely. Her story is about walking away from the safe path and what she found on the other side.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/jody-brown

1,000 Combat Missions From Vegas — Then It Broke Him | Tanner Yackley

Michael Komorous — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Tanner Yackley flew 1,000 combat missions from a climate-controlled room in Las Vegas. He held the power of life and death thousands of miles away — and then went home to the grocery store. He was told it didn't count. It did.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/tanner-yackley

Courage Under Fire — Now She's Speaking Out (Part 2) | Sloane Rose

Michael Komorous — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0400

In part two, Sloane Rose confronts the policy battles, leadership scrutiny, and personal cost of living her truth inside an institution that wasn't built for her story. This is the episode that thousands of veterans serving in silence needed someone to record.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/sloane-rose-part-2

32-Year Veteran Speaks Out — Transgender in the Military (Part 1) | Sloane Rose

Michael Komorous — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Sloane Rose led EOD teams through some of the Army's most dangerous assignments and transitioned while on active duty — conversations with General Mark Milley included. Part one is her story of identity, resilience, and what it costs to serve authentically.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/sloane-rose-part-1

From Hardship to Heroic Impact — The VetLife Mission | Josh Parrish

Michael Komorous — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Josh Parrish grew up in poverty on a Native American reservation where the military wasn't a career choice — it was the only door out. When his service ended, he built VetLife and the Battle Buddy App to make sure no veteran has to navigate the system alone.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/josh-parrish

From Athlete to Wing Commander — The Truth About Military Leadership | CJ Johnson

Michael Komorous — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0400

CJ Johnson went from college athlete to Wing Commander in the Air National Guard — and the gap between those two identities is where his real leadership story lives. This is a candid look at mentorship, emotional intelligence, and what it actually takes to lead.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/cj-johnson

Why 'No' Is the Most Powerful Word in Leadership | Jim Camp Jr

Michael Komorous — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Major General Jim Camp Jr was one of the few military pilots airborne over the United States on 9/11 — and his own tanker was nearly mistaken for a terrorist threat by the friendly fighters scrambling to intercept him.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/jim-camp-jr

The Dragon of Afghanistan — An Apache Pilot's Story | Gerald Gangaram

Michael Komorous — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Raised by a single mother in Queens, Gerald Gangaram graduated West Point, commanded the world's largest attack helicopter company in Afghanistan, and survived a traumatic brain injury — then rebuilt himself into a philosophy of 'forging forward' that now drives his work in civic leadership.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/gerald-gangaram

From a South Carolina Middle School to Commanding in the Navy | Shikina Tellis

Michael Komorous — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Shikina Tellis spent 26 years rising from enlisted sailor to Navy Commander — navigating leadership challenges as a woman in predominantly male spaces, surviving the emotional reckoning of retirement, and building a coaching practice to help others find themselves after the uniform.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/shikina-tellis

He Quit the Marine Band for Infantry. It Nearly Broke Him | Mike Ergo

Michael Komorous — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Mike Ergo had a safe seat in the Marine Corps Band. He gave it up and volunteered for the infantry. Then he came home an Ironman — and an entirely different kind of broken.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/mike-ergo

I Had to Tell My Sons I Was Dying | Col. Mike Yamzon

Michael Komorous — Sat, 17 May 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Col. Mike Yamzon (Ret.) | 22-Year Air Force Veteran & Defense Contractor

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/mike-yamzon

Don't Chase Someone Else's Transition | Justin Henderson

Michael Komorous — Fri, 02 May 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Justin Henderson went into the Marine Corps Reserve as a culinary specialist, became a truck driver, then an automatic rifleman. Since 2006 he has done one thing: help veterans find work that fits. He founded Veteran Hiring Solutions to fix the part of the process that keeps breaking — a resume that can't say what a service record actually means, read by an applicant tracking system that was never built to hear it.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/justin-henderson

I Realized Killing Was Not My Purpose | Amanda Evans

Michael Komorous — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Amanda Evans is a former U.S. Air Force Group Commander and pilot who transitioned from the Reserves to the Guard, navigating leadership challenges while balancing military duty with family life.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/amanda-evans

Saving a Father & Son in a Blizzard: The Impossible Rescue | John Whiddon

Michael Komorous — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 09:00:00 -0400

John Whiddon is a former Coast Guard helicopter pilot and aircraft commander known for his resilience and life-saving rescue missions in the Pacific Northwest.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/john-whiddon

Why Your Success is Killing You: The Hero Complex | Tony Moon

Michael Komorous — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Anthony Moon is a former helicopter pilot and veteran sharing his raw journey of healing from childhood trauma and relationship struggles.

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/tony-moon

Dad's Last Plea: Find My Daughter Before I Die | Lindsey Wade

Michael Komorous — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Lindsey Wade | Former Tacoma PD Detective & Cold Case Author

Watch the full video episode and read the transcript: voiceforvalor.com/episodes/lindsey-wade