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In 2007, LT Redman’s Navy SEAL Assault Team came under heavy machine gun and small arms fire and he was wounded in the firefight. Despite being shot twice in the arm and once in the face, Jason and his Team fought valiantly. While recovering at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, Jason wrote and hung a sign on his door, which became a statement and symbol for wounded warriors everywhere. “Attention to all who enter here. If you are coming into this room with sorrow or to feel sorry for my wounds, go elsewhere. The wounds I received I got in a job I love, doing it for people I love, supporting the freedom of a country I deeply love. I am incredibly tough and will make a full recovery. What is full? That is the absolute utmost physically my body has the ability to recover. Then I will push that about 20 percent further through sheer mental tenacity. This room you are about to enter is a room of fun, optimism, and intense rapid regrowth. If you are not prepared for that, go elsewhere.” 

Richard Gonzalez, UW-AAB, KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA, AKC-CGC, DTIP, USMC, found his passion for humane dog training in 2010 while undergoing medical recovery from combat wounds. He now educates dog guardians and their animals using positive reinforcement (R+).

Still serving with 14+ years experience from Machine Gunner to PSG, Senior Jumpmaster to NCO Academy Instructor, and now at the US Embassy, Guatemala.

I am an entrepreneur, Marine veteran, angel investor, small business advocate, and advisor passionate about leveraging my experience to help others. For the past 25+ years, my businesses have been in the construction, real estate, and restaurant industries.

Robert had been a Police Officer for over 18 years with a background on SWAT and the past 10 assigned as a full-time instructor. His instructor specializations are in Firearms, Active Shooter Response, Counter Ambush, and Tactical Medicine.  He has been recognized internationally as an expert in Active Shooter Events and Law Enforcement Training.  He serves as the lead Tactical Medical instructor for a federal counter narcotics training agency.  He routinely provides consulting on medical response for tactical trauma events. 
Robert also has spent over 27 years in the United States Air Force.  20 of those years were in Security Forces with the majority of his time working in ground combat instructor assignments.  In 2016, he became a Special Warfare Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC).  He currently has 6 combat deployments and is still assigned to the MS Air National Gaurd.
Robert is the President of Brave Defender Community Services, a registered non-profit, whose mission is conduct Active Shooter Research, Prevention, Preparation, and Education.  He also owns a training company providing Firearms and tactics training to military and law enforcement.
Robert has been published numerous times and routinely speaks at international conferences speaking on Law Enforcement training, Active Shooter Events, and Tactical Medicine.

Max Bloom is a U.S. Navy Veteran with 14 years of service. He rose to the rank of Chief Select and served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He worked with all branches of the Military and was a Prison Guard and Drone Pilot for Naval Special Warfare. After his separation, he created The ScuttleButt Show, a platform for discussing Military News and featuring reviews of books, movies, and gear.

Adam Kinakin is the Managing Director and founder of ILET Network, a community-based training platform for international Law Enforcement. A former Infantry Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, he held various roles and was awarded instructor qualifications from many Canadian and international organizations. In July 2020 he created the International Law Enforcement Training Summit with annual attendance of over 10,000 from 75 countries. ILET Network has partnered with Federal, State/Provincial and Municipal agencies worldwide to support the evolution of training for Law Enforcement and First Responders. Adam attended the University of Saskatchewan majoring in Psychology and is beginning a Masters/Ph.D. program in Forensic Psychophysiology.

Hey, what's up guys? So the question is, how can an individual's selfless service mindset help to create positive change in difficult situations? So guys, this is a big one, and I think there's two components of this. Number one is just positive mental attitude. When it is hard, there's a natural tendency for all of us to turn inward. We focus on the pain. We focus on the misery. And if you can look outward and think about how choosing positivity in the face of negativity, it can make an absolute huge difference. And then the other tendency is when things are really hard, we have a tendency to focus on ourselves. We're focusing on our pain. We're focused on the things that we can or can't do. Frequently, we're focused on the things that are external to us. And so often, in really hard situations, when we're dealing with adversity, when we're dealing with problems, instead of thinking about yourself, you've got to fall into my three rules of leadership. Rule number three, you got to lead always. And this is where we push outward. We push past that pain, and we say, "Hey, man. How can I help you? Hey, man. I know you're hurting. I'm hurting, too. How can I help?" And sometimes this falls out the scope of our normal duties. It might not even be your job. But that is how selfless service can make a difference in super hard challenging times. Try it out. Make a difference with others around you. All right. I'm out.

In difficult situations, having a selfless service mindset can help create positive change by adopting a positive attitude and focusing on helping others instead of just yourself.

How can an individual's selfless service mindset help to create positive change in difficult situations?

Unlocking Positive Change: Harnessing Selfless Service in Difficult Situations

An individual's selfless service mindset can greatly contribute to creating positive change in difficult situations. There are two key components to this.

Firstly, maintaining a positive mental attitude is crucial. When faced with challenging circumstances, it's natural to focus on the pain and misery. However, choosing to adopt a positive outlook can make a significant difference. By looking outward and embracing positivity in the face of negativity, individuals can bring about positive change.

Secondly, it's important to shift the focus from oneself to others. In tough situations, there is a tendency to become self-centered, concentrating on personal pain and limitations. However, true selfless service involves following the rule of leadership: always lead. This means pushing past personal struggles and reaching out to others, asking how one can help and offering support. This may extend beyond one's regular responsibilities and may involve assisting others even if it's not directly related to one's job. By practicing selfless service, individuals can make a meaningful impact in challenging times.

So, embrace a selfless service mindset, make a difference, and positively influence those around you.

An anonymous user asks, what is basic training like? Marine Corps basic training is extremely intense. It starts from the moment you set foot on those yellow footprints, in my case in San Diego. From there, it's nonstop. Constantly getting yelled at, constantly on the move. Even at night, you have fire watch. During the day, it's just constant chaos, chaos, chaos, chaos. And it's designed to build you into a Marine who's able to operate within situations that are extremely chaotic, most notably battle. It just doesn't stop. It takes a lot of people a series of weeks to adjust out of the boot camp mindset. They'll go on to MCT, they'll go on to their MOS school, and then by the time they hit the fleet, they've settled into a normalized way of operating as a Marine. But boot camp is the most intense experience that I've been through in my life. And I also went on to officer candidate school in the Marine Corps. So I can tell you firsthand, having done both of them, that mentally boot camp is harder than officer candidate school. Physically, officer candidate school is substantially harder. But the best way to describe Marine Corps basic training is chaos.

Marine Corps basic training is extremely intense and chaotic. It requires a lot of mental toughness to adjust to the nonstop chaos, but the purpose is to build you into a marine who can handle extreme situations.

Marine Corps Basic Training: A Grueling Introduction to Chaos

Marine Corps basic training is incredibly intense, starting from the moment you step foot on the yellow footprints. It's nonstop, with constant yelling and constant movement. Even at night, there's fire watch duty. Throughout the day, chaos reigns. The purpose is to mold you into a Marine who can handle extremely chaotic situations, particularly in battle. The intensity doesn't let up. It takes weeks for many people to adjust out of the boot camp mindset as they progress to subsequent training and eventually join the fleet. Boot camp was the most intense experience of my life, even compared to officer candidate school. Mentally, boot camp was tougher, while officer candidate school was more physically demanding. In short, Marine Corps basic training can be best described as chaos.

Robert and Fran have both had interesting careers in the military. Robert was raised by a World War II veteran, and joined the military as his grandfather's influence on him. Fran joined the military after 9-11 to do great things and ended up studying broadcast journalism before that. Both of them have learned important lessons about leadership, security threats, and more through their experiences.

A conversation with Robert Carlson and Fran Racioppi on lessons from the military, threat assessments, leadership, and more.

Listen to a wide-ranging discussion about leadership under pressure

In this conversation, Robert Carlson and Fran Racioppi discuss their military careers, the importance of being prepared for security threats, and how to excel as leaders. Fran, who transitioned from studying broadcast journalism to serving in the army after 9/11, reveals the profound impact of being on the front lines and the lessons he learned about leadership and taking part in the action. Robert sheds light on his experience in the Air Force and as a law enforcement officer, particularly in handling active shooter events. They discuss the crucial evolution of threat response and the need for proactive measures. The conversation delves into fostering trust and efficient teamwork in high-stakes situations, highlighting the power of empowering team members, building trust, and holding them accountable. Tune in to gain fascinating perspectives on how to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of security challenges and lead with excellence.

What is your current role in the military community? Well, I served in the United States Marine Corps for four years active duty deployed to Iraq twice. And currently, I'm a veteran. So I've been out of the military for a number of years. And I serve active duty in military and veterans at the VA as a licensed clinical social worker or a therapist, running a veteran mental health center.

I am a veteran and currently serve active duty in the military and veterans community as a licensed clinical social worker or therapist, running a veteran mental health center.

What is your current role in the military community?

Serving the Military: From Marine Corps to VA Therapist

My current role in the military community is that of a veteran. I served in the United States Marine Corps for four years, with two deployments to Iraq. After leaving the military, I transitioned into a career as a licensed clinical social worker or therapist. Currently, I work at the VA, running a veteran mental health center, where I provide support and care for active duty military personnel and veterans.

Where were you deployed? I was deployed to Afghanistan, specifically Helmand Province and Camp Leatherneck. From there we ran convoys all up and down the Helmand River Valley. This map gives you a rough overview of the routes we took. I've kept it very vague for obvious reasons. Only one of these names is accurate. There's Route Red, Route Blue, and Route White. This is some footage I took of us parked on the side of the road of Route Red. Here's some other footage I took of us driving north on Route White. And this footage is us driving south on Route Blue. I went first in 2012 and a quick turnaround again in 2013 and ran countless missions all up and down the Helmand River Valley in Afghanistan.

I was deployed to Afghanistan in Helmand Province and ran convoys up and down the Helmand River Valley on routes Red, Blue and White.

Deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand Province: A Riveting Account

I was deployed to Afghanistan, specifically Helmand Province and Camp Leatherneck. During my deployment, we ran convoys along various routes in the Helmand River Valley. For security reasons, I have kept the details vague on the specific routes we took. However, I can share some footage I captured during our missions. This video shows us parked on the side of the road on Route Red. I also have footage of us driving north on Route White and driving south on Route Blue. I first deployed in 2012 and had a quick turnaround for another deployment in 2013. Throughout both deployments, we conducted numerous missions along the Helmand River Valley in Afghanistan.

Why did I enlist in the military? There's two main reasons I enlisted. One, and most obvious for almost everyone who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, was 9-11. It was a very searing experience for all of us, especially those of us that were just barely old enough to grasp what was going on when it happened. It stuck with us because our parents were crying, the nation came to a standstill, everyone around us, our aunts, our uncles, our teachers, everybody was so devastated by what had happened and that it really seared into us that this was a horrific injustice that had been committed upon the American people. And as we grew up and came of age and got old enough to join the military, a lot of us did, to be a part of making right the wrong that was done to us on 9-11. The other reason was a friend of mine died in the earlier days of Iraq, a buddy of mine that I had gone to high school with, and he enlisted right after high school and had gone over there and had been shot and killed by a sniper. And I found out about it, I was actually at a party, a college party, having a good time, living it up, and it came on the news and I saw his face and I thought, oh my God. And it was really hard and I thought, why is it that his family and him have to make this sacrifice for the country and I'm just sitting here doing nothing? I was barely even paying attention. I didn't even know that he had joined the service or that he'd even gone to Iraq. And now I'm finding out that he had died. And that really compelled me to join the war effort, so to speak, and give whatever I could. And that's the main reasons that I enlisted and would go on to become an officer and go to Afghanistan and be a part of the war effort.

I joined the military in response to 9/11 and the death of a friend who had enlisted and gone to Iraq.

9/11 and personal loss drove me to enlist

I enlisted in the military for two main reasons. The first reason was the impact of 9/11. Witnessing the devastating effects of that day, seeing the nation in mourning, and feeling the injustice committed against the American people deeply affected me. As I grew older and became eligible to join the military, I felt compelled to be part of righting that wrong.

The second reason was the loss of a close friend who had enlisted right after high school and tragically lost his life in Iraq. Hearing about his death while at a college party made me question why his family and he had to make such a sacrifice while I was doing nothing significant. It was a wake-up call that pushed me to contribute whatever I could to the war effort.

These two reasons ultimately led me to enlist, become an officer, and serve in Afghanistan as part of the war effort.