Many Americans think of only one form of military heroism: the war hero. But there are many varieties of heroism -- yes, some that include acts of gallantry in combat, but others are performed by service members here at home. At least, that’s what the United Service Organizations, or USO, has hoped to show over the last 20 years when it nominates its Service Members of the Year -- junior enlisted troops from all branches and components recognized for actions that go above and beyond. Today, you’ll hear from those USO Service Members of the Year: a Patriot missile operator who resurrected U.S. use of the system for the first time in nearly two decades; a Marine who gave lifesaving CPR to an unconscious noncommissioned officer; a sailor who treated wounded civilians after a drive-by shooting; a Guardsman who rushed into a burning building to save a woman’s life; an airman who tackled a man attacking a pregnant woman; and a Coast Guardsman who breathed life into an infant after an overloaded boat capsized while crossing the Rio Grande River. Appearing in this episode: Ben Fenwick, Sgt. Octavio Castruita, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Flores, Spc. Solomon J. Doss, Cpl. Alec Cruz, Sgt. Erick Ceja, Seaman Ty Knight, Drew F. Lawrence, Rebecca Kheel.

Nearly 60 years ago, now-retired Colonel Paris Davis did something remarkable. He was a Green Beret, one of the first Black officers to join the elite Special Forces. And on June 18, 1965 as dawn was breaking over the rice paddies of Binh Dinh province Vietnam, Davis, his Special Forces team, and an inexperienced company of South Vietnamese soldiers started taking heavy machine-gun fire from Viet Cong fighters – hundreds of fighters. During a 19-hour battle, Davis saved three Americans under his command, disobeying two direct orders from a superior officer to do so, crawling through mud and human waste to rescue them. He killed more than a dozen enemies using all manner of weapons, including engaging in hand-to-hand combat. He was wounded at least eight times in the process, and was the last American to step off the battlefield that day. How could a soldier like Davis who exhibited that type of heroism suffer the fate of having the paperwork for the nation's highest military honor lost – and not just once, but twice?  The answer, according to historians, his family and friends is clear – racism. Davis, a Black officer leading an elite force who had disobeyed a superior during the height of the Civil Rights movement could well have been a symbol for those striving for equality in that era. Army officials were hesitant to blame discrimination, but acknowledged Davis had waited far too long, declaring their admiration for the acts of courage he had performed in 1965.  Join host Drew F. Lawrence as he explores Davis’ legacy through the eyes of his friends, family and of course, the retired Green Beret himself. Appearing in this episode: President Joe Biden, Ron Deis, Neil Thorne, Steve Beynon, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Weimer, Drew Lawrence, Regan Hopper, Phil Donahue, Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson, Col. Paris Davis, Rebecca Kheel  

Last week, Americans looked toward the sky … they were scanning for a 200-foot-tall white orb that traversed the entire country in less than two weeks. It stalked the Midwest and floated into the Southeast like an all-seeing eye. It was a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon or spy balloon, according to the Pentagon, and on the afternoon of Feb. 4, an F-22 Raptor ripped across the blue expanse and punched a Sidewinder missile through its side. The popping of the balloon came on the heels of a leaked memo from an Air Force four-star general predicting a physical conflict between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China starting as early as the next two years. At the time, it was rebuffed by critics as hyperbolic -- and many still consider it so. But the balloon, the leaked memo, and an increasingly tense intelligence atmosphere between the U.S. and China raised a question in the last two weeks that in actuality has been looming for decades. Is America going to war with China? And if so, what would it look like and when will it happen? Appearing in this episode: Gen. Mike Minihan, Nicholas Eftimiades, Drew Lawrence, KTLA Eye Witness Video, Thomas Novelly, Allison P. Erickson, Rebecca Kheel  

In 2019, when Gen. Milley marched his boots on Sesame Street, it was in April, the Month of the Military Child. What Gen. Milley, Elmo and the rest of the world did not know at the time was that in less than a year, the world would change. The experts and researcher behind the family-friendly fun on Sesame Street realized that kids were particularly affected by some of the consequences of the virus: two years of online schooling, oscillating class schedules, a scary illness that may have hurt them or their family, frightening images flashing across TV screens of people in hospitals beds…and of course isolation from playmates, friends and family.  And within that group, a distinct and important pocket of Americans exists: military families, who already face an ever-changing homelife with regular – and often disruptive – moves, deployments with time away from mom or dad, new schools, new friends.  The effects of the pandemic compounded those stressors that exist in military family life, especially for kids. And the Muppets of Sesame Street - who have brought joy and hope and education to children for decades - are here…and looking to help. Appearing in this episode: Muppets, NBC News Now, What Went Well, Keep It Simple, Elmo, Gen. Mark Milley, Drew Lawrence, Good Morning America, Rocío Galarza, CNN, Konstantin Toropin, Abby, Rebecca Kheel Interview clips courtesy of Sesame Workshop

In late 2019, an explosion rumbled across a remote vista in Somalia, disturbing the low brush and red-brown dirt surrounding a lonely American airfield. It rattled the bolts of the decades-old base and buckled the knees of the National Guard soldiers tasked with defending it. Capt. London Nagai – the commander of the unit – and his Charlie Troopers knew the attack was coming. A truck, up-armored and sickly yellow against its trailing dust cloud, broke off from the group. Unbeknownst to the soldiers inside the base, that truck carried one of the largest known vehicle-borne explosive devices on the African continent. And it was bound for them. In 2019, as rumbles about the Global War on Terror ending, regular troops – many of whom are police officers, fire fighters, college students, and delivery drivers in their civilian jobs – found themselves at the tip of that long, gnarled spear that many Americans don’t realize is firmly planted in the near center of Somalia. Appearing in this episode: Drew F. Lawrence, Capt. London Nagai, Dr. Tricia Brown, W.J. Hennigan, the soldiers of C Troop, Rebecca Kheel, and Steve Beynon

When the red telephone began to ring, Col. Harry Shoup feared the worst. It was 1955, at the height of the Cold War, and Shoup was in the operations center of the Continental Air Defense Command in Colorado. CONAD, as it was known then, stood as the early warning system for a Soviet attack. So the ringing of the red telephone never meant anything good. What happened next launched the now-named North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, into a decades-long tradition to track Santa and bring joy to children around the world. And it started with a simple act of kindness, a Cold War scare and a youngster hoping to tap into a little Christmas magic. So who runs NORAD, and how do they know so much about Santa? On this episode of Fire Watch, we learn about the decades-long tradition and speak to the service members who track Santa on Christmas. Plus, a special reading of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. (Ret.) Martin Dempsey. Sound & Music: Adobe Stock, Zapsplat.com Appearing in this episode: Zachary Fryer-Biggs, Gen. (Ret.) Martin Dempsey, Gen. (Ret.) Gene Renuart, Capt. Alexandra Hejduk, Preston Schlachter, Drew Lawrence, Cade, Thomas Novelly, Amy Bushatz

This episode contains descriptions of suicide. Listener discretion is advised. Traumatic Brain Injuries – the cost of the Global War on Terror is due – passed due – and veterans and families are footing the bill with their lives. Suicide is a complex issue. And as we are learning, TBIs add to that complexity. One university cohort study showed that veterans who experienced even a mild traumatic brain injury were three times as likely to die by suicide compared to their civilian counterparts. And as the Global War on Terror fades into the rearview for the public – so with it the cost of those wars. But a small and important section of America continues to foot the bill for the last 20 years – often with their lives, and with the lives of their families as they cope with their absence. TBI has largely gone unrecognized, untreated, unnoticed, and ignored by the institutions charged with caring for those who bear its weight…as well as the ones who are left picking up the pieces when that load becomes too great to bear at all. This reporting is based on a three-part Military.com series on TBIs from reporters Patricia Kime and Rebecca Kheel. Appearing in this episode: Drew F. Lawrence, Kristina, Frank Larkin, Rebecca Kheel, and James LaPorta.

Veterans Day is a holiday meant to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. It is also a day that has historically served as a platform for those outside of the community to offer their thoughts on service – whether sincere or platitudinous. On this episode of Fire Watch, we speak to many veterans – ones with unique, distinguished or important backgrounds – and ask them their thoughts on the day, what phrases like “thank you for your service" means to them and why it may mean different things to different veterans. In this episode you’ll hear from a Navy pilot and son of one of the most influential veterans of our lifetimes, a Silver Star recipient who fought in one of the most infamous and deadly battles of the Afghan War, a Vietnam veteran who has covered military issues for decades, an Iraq War veteran and proud immigrant who defended the Capitol against rioters on January 6th 2021, a founding leader for Black veteran voices and equity across the country, and a Marine who was relieved of command after she said she took a stand against gender bias in the Corps. Appearing in this episode: Drew Lawrence, Jonathan Hill, Kate Germano, Jack McCain, Aquilino Gonell, Alex Horton, Daniele Anderson, Rebecca Kheel and Richard Sisk. Interviews edited for time and clarity.

Ambrose Bierce was an American Civil War veteran. As a Union soldier Bierce fought in many battles, was wounded, and went on to become a pioneer in the horror genre, helping introduce the psychological thriller to the American story. American tradition is steeped in rich horror and veterans like Bierce who have taken their experiences in war and service and twisted them into terrifying tales for the public are a staple in that tradition. Edgar Allen Poe, a king of the American gothic, had a stint in the Army, enlisting under a fake name and age in 1827. Rod Serling, the creator and host of The Twilight Zone, fought in World War II, earning a bronze star and purple heart before going on to terrifying millions with dark, otherworldly frights on TV. These are some of the few, but impactful authors who have transposed the horrors of war into macabre fiction – and today, that tradition continues. On this episode of Fire Watch, we explore that tradition through contemporary authors – who are also veterans – in a reading of Bierce’s An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.  Appearing in this episode: Weston Ochse, Russell James, Dacia Arnold, Drew Lawrence, Jonathan Raab, Brian Keene This episode contains adult themes, violence and swearing. Sound effects courtesy of Zapsplat.com.

These are the family members who were part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs caregiver program, a largely unsung army of thousands of friends, family members and guardians that quietly take care of veterans who cannot independently take care of themselves as a result of injury or illness incurred from their service.  Many have quit their jobs to work full time as a caregiver, sacrificing an otherwise independent life to help their veteran do things like bathe, dress themselves, eat, take medication, and other daily tasks they couldn’t do on their own. And until recently, the support they got from the VA to give that 24/7 care was essentially a sure thing. So what happened and why were 90% of them at risk of being disqualified for the program? Appearing in this episode: Paul Szoldra, Drew Lawrence, Amy Bushatz, Alana, Rebecca Kheel, Elisa, Dr. Colleen Richardson