Echo Valor Podcast

About Echo Valor Podcast

Stories of courage, service, sacrifice, faith, resilience, and the people who answer the call. Hosted by author, veteran, instructor, and humanitarian David Burnell. davidburnell.substack.com (https://davidburnell.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Stories of courage, service, sacrifice, and resilience.

Category

society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Jun 2025

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

210 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   We Will Come for You

   In early April 2026, a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southwestern Iran. Both crew members ejected into hostile territory. The pilot was recovered first, but the injured weapons systems officer remained behind, evading capture while American military and intelligence personnel worked to locate him and bring him home. In this episode of Echo Valor with David Burnell, David follows the two rescue operations and explores the preparation behind them. From Air Force survival, evasion, resistance, and escape training to the demanding education of pararescuemen and the coordination of rescue aircrews, these extraordinary hours rested on years of disciplined work. Drawing on public reporting and official briefings, the episode examines the wounded officer’s determination to survive, the CIA’s reported deception campaign, the aircraft protecting and supporting the recovery forces, and the rescuers who adapted when transport aircraft became unusable during extraction. As an Air Force veteran, instructor, and rescue professional, David reflects on the connection between individual resilience and collective responsibility. A survivor’s determination preserves the opportunity for rescue. The skill and commitment of others turn that opportunity into a return home. This is a story of courage under pressure, trust built through preparation, and the many people whose contributions make a rescue possible. Listen, share this episode with someone who values service and perseverance, and subscribe to Echo Valor with David Burnell for more stories of courage, resilience, preparedness, and faith. Stay connected at EchoValor.com. Get full access to Echo Valor with David Burnell at davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe (https://davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   26 Sept 2026

   Improvised Weapons: The Complete Audiobook

   Revised Second Edition Improvised Weapons: Using Everyday Objects for Emergency Self-Defense is a practical guide to awareness, adaptability, and personal safety when situations change faster than expected. Drawing from decades of military service, self-defense instruction, personal protection, rescue work, and real-world training, David Burnell explains how ordinary environments already contain tools that can help you create distance, establish barriers, protect others, and get to safety. The emphasis is not on aggression or complicated techniques. It is on recognizing what is available, understanding what the situation requires, and making simple decisions that still work under stress. Throughout the audiobook, Burnell examines the defensive value of everyday items such as flashlights, backpacks, umbrellas, water bottles, furniture, doors, vehicles, keys, and other common objects. More importantly, he shows how awareness, positioning, movement, escape routes, and environmental barriers can matter far more than the object in your hand. Listeners will learn how stress affects perception and decision-making, how to recognize danger earlier, how to create space without unnecessarily escalating a confrontation, how to protect family members and others, and how to train with simple, realistic drills designed around movement and judgment rather than choreography. This is not a manual for manufacturing weapons or looking for a fight. It is a civilian preparedness book built around a different goal: avoid danger when you can, leave when you can, create distance when you can, put something between yourself and the threat when you can, and use force only when no safer option remains. The object is not the skill. The skill is recognition. Prepare early. Stay aware. Protect what matters. Get home safely. Get full access to David Burnell at davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe (https://davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   21 Sept 2026

   The Beggar: The Complete Audiobook

   During a 2012 humanitarian mission among the Karen people of Burma, I met an elderly beggar whose body had been bent by age, poverty, and war. He owned almost nothing, yet through his quiet dignity and a simple, unexpected gift, he taught me something I had not fully understood: grace is not only something we give. It is also something we must be humble enough to receive. The Beggar is a deeply personal Christian reflection on poverty, dignity, mercy, judgment, and our shared dependence upon Jesus Christ. Through the story of one man and the lessons that continued to unfold long after I left Burma, this book asks us to reconsider what it means to possess something, to serve another person, and to recognize the gifts of God in our own lives. This post contains the complete audiobook of The Beggar: What One Man in Burma Taught Me About the Grace of Jesus Christ, written by David Burnell. Get full access to David Burnell at davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe (https://davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

171,552

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

84

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

32

Contact Echo Valor Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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