Not a Straight Line: From Cadet to Commander

The Stories of the Pacific episodes bring together seven Soldiers whose experiences reflect the depth, diversity and purpose of the U.S. Army in the Indo-Pacific, where the Army operates in a complex and rapidly changing environment. Our co-hosts sat down at AUSA’s LANPAC event in Hawaii back in May to meet incredible leaders in the U.S. Army Pacific Command, from junior enlisted to more senior levels. Their voices represent the Total Army and provide an authentic look at service in one of the most important regions in the world. In the second of two episodes, they speak with SSG Haitham Resen, an Iraqi interpreter who later joined the U.S. Army, SSG Samuel Elston, a wrestler pursuing his MBA, 1LT Blake Mitchell, a champion handball player and recognized Army intel officer, and SGT Luis Mendez who showed heroic dedication during the Hawaii flooding. Guest: Part 2 with Soldiers from the U.S. Army Pacific Command Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast! AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

The Warrior Games are built around competition, but, for many participants, the medals are only part of the story. In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with two Warrior Games competitors—CW3 Cody Edgerton of Team Army and SSG (Ret.) Andrew May of Team SOCOM (U.S. Special Operations Command)—to discuss adaptive sports, recovery, military identity, and what happens when servicemembers are forced to redefine what comes next due to illness or injury. For Edgerton, an aggressive cancer changed the trajectory of his military career, eventually bringing him into the Army Recovery Care Program and adaptive sports. May’s path to the Warrior Games followed life-changing injuries sustained during a deployment to Syria, including the loss of his right leg below the knee, traumatic brain injuries, and PTSD. This conversation examines how Warrior Games competitors learn from one another, create connection across ranks and services, and pursue adaptive sports to discover a renewed sense of identity, competition, and purpose. The next Warrior Games take place in Orlando, Florida, August 7–14, 2027. Guest: CW3 Cody Edgerton of Team Army and SSG (Ret.) Andrew May of Team SOCOM (U.S. Special Operations Command) Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast! AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

The Stories of the Pacific episodes bring together seven Soldiers whose experiences reflect the depth, diversity and purpose of the U.S. Army in the Indo-Pacific, where the Army operates in a complex and rapidly changing environment. Our co-hosts sat down at AUSA’s LANPAC event in Hawaii back in May to meet incredible leaders in the U.S. Army Pacific Command, from junior enlisted to more senior levels. Their voices represent the Total Army and provide an authentic look at service in one of the most important regions in the world. In the first of two episodes, they speak with SFC Sarah Nelms, a PHD candidate who deployed four times as a member of the Army National Guard, COL Khalid Shabazz, a Muslim Chaplain whose life was transformed in the Army, and SSG Gage Smith, a top Army Recruiter excelling at connecting people with their calling. Guest: Part 1 with Soldiers from the U.S. Army Pacific Command Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast! AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

The Army teaches Soldiers how to fight, lead and endure. But what happens when the mission ends, and the weight of service remains? In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Major Jake Kelly, an Armor Officer, Army Strategist and author of The Spurs of Service, a collection of poetry inspired by military service, loss, leadership and healing. After losing a fellow Soldier to suicide, and losing two close friends in the Army as well, all in the same year, Kelly spent a long time carrying a grief that he struggled to explain, even to the people closest to him. Writing became a way to process these experiences; and that writing eventually led to a book that has resonated with Soldiers, veterans, spouses and military families alike. Drawing parallels between the lives of Soldiers and cowboys, The Spurs of Service explores sacrifice, duty, resilience, brotherhood and the emotional cost of a life spent serving others. Guest: MAJ Jake Kelly, U.S. Army Author, The Spurs of Service Poetry Readings: CSM(R) Robert V. Abernethy, Senior Director, NCO & Soldier Programs, AUSA Interested In Purchasing The Spurs of Service? It can be found at Sawdust Publishing and Amazon. Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast! AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Stephen Siller had just completed a night shift with New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Squad 1. He was driving home to play golf with his brothers when he heard over his radio that America was under attack. He turned his truck around. When he reached the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, it had been closed. So, Stephen strapped on nearly sixty pounds of firefighting gear and ran through the tunnel toward the Twin Towers. He was never seen alive again. In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, to discuss his brother Stephen’s extraordinary sacrifice, the devastating days that followed, and how one family’s grief became the impetus for one of America’s largest organizations supporting military families, first responders, Gold Star families, and injured and homeless veterans. Guest: Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO, Tunnel to Towers Foundation and AUSA’s 2026 Marshall Medal Recipient What is Tunnels To Tower? Tunnel to Towers Foundation Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast! AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at [email protected]. Disclaimer: AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.