Marine Corps boot camp, combat in Haditha, Iraq, and the chaos, comedy, and cost of it all. Austin Hancock’s story is wild, hilarious, and at times heavy — this episode dives into all of it. We start today's episode of Urban Valor with boot camp madness: grown men in whitey-tighties doing squats, drill instructors weaponizing humor like it’s their MOS, and the kind of military hazing that only makes sense once you’ve been there. But underneath the laughs? IED-ridden convoys, combat stress,...
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Marine Corps boot camp, combat in Haditha, Iraq, and the chaos, comedy, and cost of it all. Austin Hancock’s story is wild, hilarious, and at times heavy — this episode dives into all of it. We start today's episode of Urban Valor with boot camp madness: grown men in whitey-tighties doing squats, drill instructors weaponizing humor like it’s their MOS, and the kind of military hazing that only makes sense once you’ve been there. But underneath the laughs? IED-ridden convoys, combat stress,...
Marine Corps boot camp, combat in Haditha, Iraq, and the chaos, comedy, and cost of it all. Austin Hancock’s story is wild, hilarious, and at times heavy — this episode dives into all of it. We start today's episode of Urban Valor with boot camp madness: grown men in whitey-tighties doing squats, drill instructors weaponizing humor like it’s their MOS, and the kind of military hazing that only makes sense once you’ve been there. But underneath the laughs? IED-ridden convoys, combat stress,...
Army Infantryman Will Jones didn’t get a slow start to his military career. He got thrown into the fire—checking into his first unit mid-deployment… in Baghdad. No stateside prep. No easing in. Just boots on ground, rifle in hand, and mortar fire exploding around him. In this Urban Valor interview, Will shares what it’s like to be a brand new 11B Infantry soldier landing in a war zone without any time to train. His story is one of chaos, trauma, brotherhood, and survival. From Baghdad to Hu...
Air Force veteran Travis MossBarger was tasked with something most of us can’t even imagine — sending over 300 fallen soldiers home. In this Urban Valor episode, Travis opens up for the first time about the silent, invisible duty that haunted him every single day of his six years in service. He didn’t pull a trigger — he processed the aftermath. He didn’t storm a battlefield — he read the death certificates of those who did. And he didn’t run from RPG fire — he lit a cigarette and walk...
What do you do when your Humvee gets rocked by an IED blast… and a suspicious car creeps toward you through the dust? Most people freeze. Navy Corpsman Noi Dumpit didn't. He confronted the driver — thinking it could be his last moment — and somehow chose not to pull the trigger. In this episode of Urban Valor, Noi relives the chaos of Fallujah, where life and death blurred by the second. He breaks down the day his Humvee was launched into the air by a vehicle-borne IED, and the surreal momen...
On August 26, 2021, during the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan, Marine veteran Christian Sanchez stood at Abbey Gate when a suicide bomber detonated his device—killing 13 U.S. service members and hundreds of Afghan civilians. Thrown to the ground, barely conscious, Christian opened his eyes to pure chaos. Then came the gunfire—a Taliban fighter firing from a rooftop. Despite being injured, Christian engaged in the firefight, neutralized the shooter, and was later shot himself. In this Urb...
Marine veteran Ralph Sarabia takes you inside the chaos of Iraq...convoys hit by IEDs, RPGs ripping overhead, close-quarters ambushes, and the split-second choices that decide who makes it home. In todays Urban Valor Podcast episode, he opens up about survivor’s guilt, hypervigilance, and rebuilding life after deployment with faith, family, and boxing. This is a raw, unfiltered account of Marine combat and the fight to heal. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comm...
Marine Corps Veteran Roger Michael Hall pulls no punches in this episode of Urban Valor. From 2017–2022, Roger served as an infantry mortarman (0341) — but this isn’t the recruiting poster version of the Corps. This is the truth about months living on a Navy ship, crammed into tight berthing spaces, working long hours, and finding ways to stay sane in a floating steel city. Roger shares it all: wild overseas port calls, boot camp fights, grueling Mountain Warfare training, and the mental gri...
From a young immigrant kid running barefoot in Mexico to serving as a U.S. Air Force veteran in Iraq — this is the incredible untold story of Hector Cabrera. In this Urban Valor episode, Hector opens up about growing up with a single mother, losing his father, facing cultural identity struggles, and ultimately finding his calling in the U.S. military. His journey takes us through childhood adversity, immigrant resilience, boot camp discipline, and combat deployments in Iraq — where survival ...
Army Chaplain Nimrod Alcala opens up about the hidden war that no one talks about—what it’s like carrying the emotional trauma of soldiers... until it breaks you. In this Urban Valor episode, Nimrod reveals the unbearable emotional toll of his service—not on the battlefield, but behind closed doors. As a U.S. Army Chaplain, he became the safe place for soldiers fighting silent battles—suicidal thoughts, trauma, PTSD, and moral injury. But what happens when the helper needs help? From gettin...
PTSD. Whistleblowing. Betrayal by your own agency. Robert Ledogar lived it. A 32-year career — Navy vet turned U.S. Marshal — shattered when he chose integrity over silence. From chasing fugitives in New York to working the El Chapo and MS-13 cases, Lugar served at the highest levels… until the U.S. Marshals turned on him for protecting a fellow Deputy. In episode of the Urban Valor podcast, Robert breaks his silence on: - Corruption inside the U.S. Marshal Service - The cost of loyalty in...
This week on Urban Valor, we sat down with Marine veteran Ernesto Menjivar. A man who watched his brother lose both legs to an IED right in front of him. Ernesto was 19 years old when he first hit the ground in Afghanistan, assigned to one of the most IED-infested regions in Helmand Province. The firefights came fast. The first one he was ever in, RPGs were flying over his head, and the next minute they were sweeping for pressure plates in the dirt, praying one of them wouldn’t go off. But t...
Green Beret Terry Wilson faced daily ambushes, IEDs, RPG attacks, and brutal firefights while deployed in Afghanistan’s deadly Helmand Province. But even after surviving the horrors of war, nothing could prepare him for the tragedy that struck back home—the heartbreaking loss of his son. This week on Urban Valor, we sit down with retired U.S. Army Green Beret Terry Wilson for one of the most emotional episodes yet. From clearing Sangin in chaotic "Wild West" gunfights to surviving recoilless...
He survived hell—and now he inspires millions. Tom “Quitproof” Jones, a former U.S. Marine and world-class endurance athlete, endured one of the most traumatic childhoods imaginable: being beaten, terrorized, and even woken with a gun to his forehead. In this episode of Urban Valor, Tom opens up about how his abusive father hunted his mom—with Tom as a forced witness—and how that trauma shaped him into the resilient man he is today. From PTSD and addiction to running 121 marathons in...
Meet Richard Aviles, a U.S. Army Veteran and former Military Policeman whose story is as raw as it is remarkable. In this Urban Valor episode, Richard recounts growing up in Puerto Rico, navigating culture shock in the U.S., and enlisting in the Army to escape homelessness and pursue purpose. Within months, he found himself deployed to Iraq, running combat missions, clearing houses, and collecting biometrics in high-risk environments. But the weight of war wasn’t left overseas. Richard opens...
A Marine's worst nightmare came true in a split second. In this episode of Urban Valor, Marine veteran Kyle Hansen recounts the devastating moment his AAV (Amphibious Assault Vehicle) ran over a natural gas line, sparking a massive explosion that left him severely burned and changed his life forever. Kyle served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2014–2018, starting in Marine Security Forces guarding nuclear assets at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. He later transitioned to 1st Marine Division’s 3r...
What really happens when a U.S. Marine fighter pilot faces off with a Russian MiG-29 at 8Gs? In this week’s episode of Urban Valor, we sit down with Major Ed Rush, a decorated Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot with nearly 2,000 hours of tactical flight time and over 50 combat missions under his belt. Raised by a legendary basketball coach and an NBA referee, Ed’s journey took him from a high-pressure family legacy to the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan. In this episode, he shares how a lie at a bar ...
Meet Marine Corps veteran Armando Garcia, a dual-branch warrior who served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps. In this episode of Urban Valor, Garcia recounts his incredible journey from Desert Storm to Fallujah, including surviving a grenade blast, building military infrastructure, training future Marines, and even serving alongside his own son in Iraq. From enlisting to escape poverty to being handpicked by General “Mad Dog” Mattis for Ranger School, Garcia’s path includes eve...
Former U.S. Marine Michael Delery joins us on Urban Valor to share a powerful and haunting story from his time in Iraq. During the 2003 invasion, Mike’s unit was approached by a young Iraqi boy who led them to a shallow grave—revealing the remains of four missing American soldiers. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Mike faced nonstop pressure to join gangs. Instead, he chose the Marine Corps and built a life of service and sacrifice. In this episode, he recounts the intensity of Marin...
This week on Urban Valor, we hear the extraordinary story of Army Staff Sergeant Robert Ham—a combat videographer whose job was to document war through the lens. Serving from 2007 to 2017, Robert captured footage most Americans will never see—graphic, haunting, and real. But it wasn’t until he reviewed the footage later that the emotional weight truly hit him. In this week's episode of Urban Valor, Robert shares the reality of filming dying Afghans, surviving mortar attacks, and embedding wi...
Michael Allison is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who survived a devastating VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) attack in Iraq—but his toughest battles came after the war. In this episode of Urban Valor, Michael opens up about the trauma that followed his deployment, including PTSD, addiction, and divorce. Born in Jamaica and raised in America, Michael’s life was marked by adversity from the start. After joining the Marines at just 17, he was deployed to some of the most dangerou...
Marine Corps boot camp, combat in Haditha, Iraq, and the chaos, comedy, and cost of it all. Austin Hancock’s story is wild, hilarious, and at times heavy — this episode dives into all of it. We start today's episode of Urban Valor with boot camp madness: grown men in whitey-tighties doing squats, drill instructors weaponizing humor like it’s their MOS, and the kind of military hazing that only makes sense once you’ve been there. But underneath the laughs? IED-ridden convoys, combat stress,...
