The Team Ten Eight Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Team Ten Eight podcast, Christian Lane speaks with Canadian army veteran and fitness coach Dave Morrow. Morrow shares his mission to help veterans improve their health and wellness, emphasizing the importance of physical fitness as a foundation for mental health. He discusses his personal journey from struggling with injuries and mental health challenges to becoming a fitness advocate for veterans. The conversation covers various topics, including the significance of community, the impact of childhood experiences on health, and the importance of continuous learning and personal growth. Morrow also shares insights from his books, which aim to provide actionable steps for veterans to improve their lives and health.

Takeaways

• Morrow's mission is to help veterans lose weight and improve health.
• Physical fitness is crucial for mental well-being.
• The mind follows the body; physical health impacts mental health.
• Community and social connections are vital for overall wellness.
• Reading and continuous learning are essential for personal growth.
• Shifting perspectives on money can lead to a healthier mindset.
• Friendships and male bonds provide necessary support and stress relief.
• Deep conversations enhance understanding and connection.
• Life's challenges can be viewed as opportunities for growth.
• Morrow's books offer practical advice for veterans seeking to improve their lives.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to the Mission

02:36
The Importance of Physical Health for Veterans

06:51
Mind-Body Connection: The Foundation of Wellness

12:23
Tracking Progress: The 100K Veterans Mission

14:49
Childhood Influences on Health and Fitness

20:37
Maintaining Mental Health: Routines and Connections

30:55
Reading and Lifelong Learning

31:57
The Shift to Entrepreneurship

39:49
Understanding Money and Wealth

41:11
The Depth of Conversation

42:50
The Meaning of Life

51:01
Transforming Anger into Purpose

01:01:08
Books and Personal Growth

Visit Dave's Hard to Kill website to learn more about his mission, the Hard To Kill podcast and for information on how to pick up any of his books! 

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I’m your host, Christian Lane.

If you are a discerning listener of this show you may have noticed that it's been some time since I've produced an episode, and there's good reason for that.  I’m not really one to talk about myself or use this platform to share my own story but, given the time that's gone by since my last episode, I feel like I owe you some measure of explanation about where I've been and what's been going on. So, this is my story, or at least a part of it, as told through an interview I gave to my good friend and host of The Gravity Podcast, Chris Litrell.  

A word of warning, this episode deals with suicidal ideation, depression and mental health. If you, or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or has attempted to end their life, please seek help in hospital, call 911 or contact the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 9-8-8 (in Canada). 

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Summary
In this episode, Christian sits down with John Vintar, an author and Army officer who has served in the Canadian Armed Forces for over 30 years. The conversation revolves around Vintar's book, 'A Swamp the Size of Belgium,' which details his experiences in South Sudan. They discuss the history of Sudan and South Sudan, the challenges of peacekeeping missions, the impact on returning soldiers, and the perception of peacekeeping in Canada. Vintar shares his most fearful moment in South Sudan and the importance of history for military leaders. The episode concludes with book recommendations and contact information for Vintar.

Takeaways

• The book 'A Swamp the Size of Belgium' provides a unique perspective on the experiences of a peacekeeper in South Sudan.
• Peacekeeping missions are often invisible to the majority of Canadians, leading to a lack of understanding and appreciation for the work of peacekeepers.
• Returning from a peacekeeping mission can be challenging, and veterans may struggle to convey the full extent of their experiences.
• History plays a crucial role in shaping military leaders and providing valuable lessons for the present and future.

Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Background

01:29
The Book: A Swamp the Size of Belgium

04:52
The History of Sudan and South Sudan

08:27
The Invisibility of Peacekeeping Missions

10:00
The Challenges of Returning Home

11:27
The Most Fearful Moment in South Sudan

14:48
Establishing Safety and Gaining Trust

15:49
The Genesis and Objective of the UN Peacekeeping Mission

18:18
Tribal Cleansing and Violence in South Sudan

20:17
Lessons Learned from Peacekeeping Missions

24:13
Public Perception of Peacekeeping

29:36
Canada's Number One Threat

31:13
The Fragility of the World Order

37:20
The Importance of History for Military Leaders

39:54
The Role of Research in Mission Success

42:27
Top Three Must-Read Book Recommendations

45:53
Book Promotion and Contact Information

46:31
Closing Remarks and Thank You

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Surrey Police Service Sergeant Andrea Martens has over nineteen years of experience across a range of law enforcement professions including as a probation officer, a border services officer and police officer.  

Andrea joins us to talk about her career path into policing, some of the progressive programs her department has put in place to foster a culture of health and wellness, and what it's like for officers on the ground as municipal and provincial politicians continue to battle over a very contentious policing transition in her city. 

She is also the founder of Support Retired Legends, a clothing and coffee company dedicated to raising funds to assist with the medical bills of retired police and military service dogs across Canada, and shares the story that inspired the brand and how it's helping prolong the lives of our four legged friends. 

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Kathleen Dias writes features and news analysis on topics of concern to United States law enforcement professionals serving in rural and remote locations and you can find her published work at RuralBadge.com and Police1.com

She uses her background in writing, teaching and marketing to advocate for professional levels of training and equipment for rural officers, open channels of communication for isolated departments, and dispel myths about rural policing.

 From a lack of training and vacation time to limited equipment and vehicles, Kathleen joins us to shed some light on the signficant challenges faced by cops in rural and remote locations. 

You will be shocked to learn just how rough a ride it really is. 

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Scott McGregor is a former Canadian military intelligence professional who has advised the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on trans-national organized crime and hybrid warfare threats, as well as the former Attorney General and BC Premier David Eby in the lead up to the Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia.

Scott maintains an extensive network of intelligence contacts through his company, Closehold Intelligence, and is the co-author of the recently released book, The Mosaic Effect: How the Chinese Communist Party started a Hybrid War in America’s backyard.

Scott's military and law enforcement intelligence career, and his access to classified information and international contacts, makes for a very unique and well informed perspective on the murky and nefarious nature of warfare taking place in Canada, the CCP's end game, and why Canada is losing it's place as a trusted ally.  

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Dr. Olivia Johnson is a United States Air Force veteran, a former police officer, and published author.  

She holds a master’s in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, a doctorate in Organizational Leadership Management from the University of Phoenix, School of Advanced Studies and is considered a subject matter expert in police officer health and wellness, police officer suicide, and suicide prevention and awareness in first responders. 

She founded the Blue Wall Institute to focus on research, publishes articles, and support agencies coping with increased mental health and suicide risk. 

Dr. Johnson joins us on this episode to discuss her research and what she coins as the "fatal ten" indicators of suicide risk, and explains how it is so much more than "the job" that's driving suicide rates among first responders.     

You can connect with and follow Dr. Johnson on X, Instagram and LinkedIn.  

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Sergeant Julien Ponsioen began his policing career with the Metro Vancouver Transit Police in 2014 after a 21 year career as a Paramedic and Supervisor and was the first openly gay male police officer hired by his department and the only openly gay male in his police academy class.  

Moving from patrol to Neighbourhood Policing in Downtown Vancouver, he began to connect with his community both in person and on social media to show that policing was for everyone and emphasize to members of the 2SLGBTQ community that they had an ally on the transit system. 

 While initially reluctant, he embraced his social media role and launched “Coffee with a Cop”, a very successful series of one minute safety tips and question and answer sessions that expanded across other platforms and developed a following that spans the globe. 

He has been a very active and successful volunteer recruiter and is now the non-commissioned officer in charge of Operational Planning.

On this episode, Julien shares his coming out story, the bridge he's building between the 2SLGBTQ community and police and offers his perspective, as a former paramedic and police officer, on BC's opioid crisis.

You can connect with and follow Julien on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.  

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Daniel Sundahl (a.k.a. Dan Sun) is a former advanced care paramedic and firefighter, a published artist and writer who has produced  three art books and whose writing has been featured online and, in several periodicals, including Canadian Paramedicine, the Journal of Emergency Medicine (JEMS), Fire Rescue Magazine, EMS One, EMS World Magazine, The Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing and the Finnish magazine Asystole. 

His powerful artwork and images are recognized worldwide. He travels internationally, speaking about his art and personal experiences with occupational stress injuries and post-traumatic growth.

His mission? To reduce the stigma of PTSD for first responders and use his art to raise awareness of occupational stress injuries worldwide.

Dan joins us to discuss his experiences as a first responder, his artistic process and how it has helped him heal, and whether we are where we need to be when it comes  preventing and protecting the in service community from operational stress injury.

To connect with Dan and learn more about his artwork, please visit https://www.dansungallery.com/

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Deven Kennedy is a police officer on a mission. 

On June 12, 2022, he was involved in a traumatic incident while on duty that shook his faith in his career and himself and led him down a path of desperation and despair, as so many trauma exposures have done to so many others.  

Through his recovery, Deven learned that fitness and a variety of healthy lifestyle choices were complimenting his psychological and medical healing and accelerated his journey back to full duty and, joins us to share his story and his mission. 

To connect with Deven and to learn more about his mission, visit resiliencethroughfitness.com

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