This Veterans Day, the American Warrior Association proudly launches Post-Op Reflections, a new video podcast that gives service members, veterans, first responders, and their families the microphone to share raw, real stories of moral injury, healing, and unbreakable purpose. Full episode drops 11.11.25.
Subscribe now. Share with a hero who needs to know they’re not alone.
#012 | Rob Van Winkle (Vanilla Ice) - Stay on the Dance Floor
A special, shorter episode of Post-Op Reflections™. Rob Van Winkle, known to the world as Vanilla Ice, sat down with hosts Will Spencer and Neil Noakes at AWA Studios in Fort Worth, and the hour belonged to him: his mother’s rule to “stay on the dance floor,” growing up broke in Farmers Branch, the shoes he pulled out of a dumpster off Harry Hines, the 5.0 Mustang his mom co-signed and the house he bought her six months after “Ice Ice Baby” hit, and the tenth-grade kid who went on the Stop the Violence tour and by the next Monday was “a popular kid in school real quick.”
Then the conversation opens up: what pop culture gave a generation that knew who it was, what the “cyber world” is taking from one that doesn’t, why he wants the ’90s back, and why he believes love is the greatest gift we have and the thing that can unite us all. Will brings a night in Iraq; Rob brings his own. And Rob tells the stories that changed him: a Make-A-Wish kid named John with his posters on the wall, the Little Smiles kids in Palm Beach and the North Pole he built for them in an airplane hangar, and the Marine buddy who couldn’t make it past the first hospital room. Those are the places where he learned that smiles are contagious and you had better give one.
Post-Op Reflections™ is a production of the American Warrior Association, confronting moral injury to restore hope and renew purpose for service members, veterans, first responders, and their families through faith-based programs like Warrior’s Refuge™ and the R3 Program™. Learn more at www.awa-usa.org.
Whatever you carry, you are not alone, and healing is still within reach.
Produced by the American Warrior Association.
Debrief the Soul. Reclaim the Spirit.
7 Aug 2026
#011 | Daylon Swearingen - Don't Limit God: A Broken Back & an Unbreakable Faith
Daylon Swearingen rode a bull to the whistle at the PBR World Finals — and the ride counted. The next day he was on an operating table with a fractured T10 vertebra. Ten weeks later, he sat down with hosts Will Spencer and Neil Noakes for one of the most honest conversations Post-Op Reflections has ever recorded.
The 2022 PBR World Champion — the first New York native ever to win it — grew up a rodeo kid in Piffard, New York, wearing his grandpa's chaps and carrying his mother's Bible verses in his gear bag. His mother's own story anchors this episode: shot twice by Daylon's biological father after she filed a restraining order, she survived, became a nurse, and raised two boys on faith and perseverance. When the hosts name what Daylon and his brother carried out of that childhood — moral injury — he says it's the first time he's ever heard the term.
Along the way, Daylon takes us inside the sport: why bull riders compete against the bull and not each other, the bullfighters who lay their bodies over fallen riders, the concussion battles he hid when he was young, the helmet that saved his life — now in the Cowboy Hall of Fame — and the mentality he leans on before every ride: he rides with his left hand down and pictures God riding with His right, balancing him out. His rule for the broken seasons of life is the same one he gives young riders and struggling warriors alike: don't limit God.
Post-Op Reflections is a production of the American Warrior Association, confronting moral injury to restore hope and renew purpose for service members, veterans, first responders, and their families. Learn more at www.awa-usa.org.
Whatever arena you fight in, you are not alone — and healing is still within reach.
4 Jul 2026
#010 | Chris Cassidy - A SEAL, an Astronaut & a Life of Service
Chris Cassidy has done what almost no American has ever done. He served ten years as a U.S. Navy SEAL — deploying to Afghanistan in the earliest weeks after 9/11 as a Ground Assault Force Commander, earning two Bronze Stars, one with "V" for valor, and a Presidential Unit Citation. Then NASA selected him. He flew three missions to the International Space Station, spent 378 days in space, completed 10 spacewalks, and served as Chief of the Astronaut Office. He is one of only three Americans ever to wear both the SEAL Trident and the astronaut pin.
In this raw, honest conversation with hosts Will Spencer and Neil Noakes, released this Fourth of July, Chris reflects on the road that took him from a small town in Maine to combat in Kandahar, from BUD/S Class 192 to the vacuum of space, and now to Arlington, Texas, where he serves as President & CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation.
Along the way he shares the story of Captain Melillo — the Marine officer who gave a young Chris the gift of an opportunity that changed everything — and the surprise reunion his wife Peggy pulled off thirty years later. He tells the story of a 2013 spacewalk that nearly ended in tragedy when his crewmate began drowning inside his own helmet. He talks about JDAM, the puppy his SEAL team rescued from Afghanistan and brought home to America. And he shares why the bravest word any warrior can say is help.
Post-Op Reflections is a production of the American Warrior Association, confronting moral injury to restore hope and renew purpose for service members, veterans, first responders, and their families. Learn more at www.awa-usa.org (http://www.awa-usa.org).
This Independence Day, we honor every American who raises their hand and says, "Here am I. Send me." If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone.
20 Jun 2026
#009 | Sheriff Bill Waybourn - Faith, Family & a Heart for the Forgotten
Sheriff Bill Waybourn has given more than 40 years to public safety — from his start as an 18-year-old in the U.S. Air Force, to becoming Texas's youngest police chief at age 26, to serving 31 years in that chair, to now leading the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, which serves more than 2.1 million Texans.
In this raw, honest conversation with host Neil Noakes and guest co-host Dr. Heather Twedell, Sheriff Waybourn talks about the weight his deputies and correctional officers carry every day — the realities of a county jail that has quietly become one of the region's largest mental health facilities, the fight against fentanyl and human trafficking, and the children and veterans the system too often forgets.
He also opens up about the foundation that has held it all together: his wife Laura, the ten children they've raised — eight of them adopted out of trauma — and a faith that frames every decision. He shares the late Chris Kyle's continued legacy through the Chris and Taya Kyle Foundation, why he believes "strong marriages make good countries," and the conviction that has carried him through four decades of service: that he is simply a vessel.
Post-Op Reflections is a production of the American Warrior Association, confronting moral injury to restore hope and renew purpose for service members, veterans, first responders, and their families. Learn more at www.awa-usa.org (http://www.awa-usa.org).
If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone.
23 May 2026
#008 | Shane Cartwright - Invisible Wounds, Forgiveness & the Cost of Service
Shane Cartwright gave more than three decades to service — eight years as a U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and Senior Drill Instructor, followed by 25 years with the Texas Department of Public Safety as a trooper, narcotics sergeant, and criminal investigations lieutenant. He answered the call statewide: major cases, natural disasters, civil unrest, and hundreds of days on the southern border.
In this raw, honest conversation with hosts Will Spencer and Neil Noakes, Shane opens up about the part of service that never shows up in a personnel file — the fatal scenes he still drives past, the invisible wounds that build quietly over a career, the missed holidays, raising a son with autism, and a 25-year marriage that ended before he saw it slipping away.
He also shares the turning point: how learning to forgive himself opened the door to forgiving everyone else, and how faith carried him into a new chapter of hope and renewed purpose. It's an episode about the weight warriors carry home — and the truth that healing is still within reach.
Post-Op Reflections is a production of the American Warrior Association, confronting moral injury to restore hope and renew purpose for service members, veterans, first responders, and their families. Learn more at www.awa-usa.org (http://www.awa-usa.org/).
If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone.
21 Apr 2026
#007 | Brad Ortiz - Moral Injury, Identity Beyond the Uniform, and Faith-Fueled Resilience
Brad Ortiz — former law enforcement officer with over a decade in patrol, street crimes, gang investigations, and fugitive apprehension — joins Neil Noakes and Reuben Ramirez for a raw, honest conversation on the unseen costs of the job.
From the cumulative trauma of loss-of-life calls (including the ones that still haunt him years later) to battles with anxiety, depression, identity tied to the badge, and moments where he sat with a gun in his hand, Brad shares how faith, family, physical wellness, and getting comfortable with discomfort helped him persevere.
Now leading the law enforcement division at Silencer Shop and continuing to serve as a reserve officer, Brad offers hard-earned wisdom on transition, leadership, failing forward, and why first responders must create stop-gaps and prioritize self-care without losing the grit that defines the profession.
This episode highlights the real human impact of moral injury and the hope available through Christ-centered healing — the foundation of the American Warrior Association’s Warrior’s Refuge™ retreats and R3 Program™ for first responder agencies.
If you’re carrying the weight of the job or supporting someone who is, this conversation will encourage you.
American Warrior Association — restoring hope and renewing purpose for America’s warriors and first responders.
4 Apr 2026
#006 Daniel & Ruth Kaster - A Warrior Couple’s Journey of Faith, Leadership & Healing
From the battlefield to a Christ-centered marriage—Sergeant Major Daniel Kaster and Sergeant First Class Ruth Kaster share their powerful journey of faith, healing, and hope on the newest episode of Post-Op Reflections.
After decades of service, multiple deployments, moral injury, childhood trauma, and personal battles, this warrior couple found each other as friends first, then built a marriage rooted in grace, accountability, and unwavering faith.
Today, as parents of four, they are breaking generational curses and modeling compassionate leadership that puts people before paperwork.
Their story is a living testament to what’s possible when heroes turn to Christ for restoration.
This is the heart of the American Warrior Association’s mission: helping service members, veterans, first responders, and their families heal from moral injury and reclaim purpose in mind, body, and soul through faith-based programs like Warrior’s Refuge™ and the R3 Program™.
12 Mar 2026
#005 Brandon Hernandez & Aaron Krause - Moral Injury & Courage in Law Enforcement
Veteran SWAT operators Brandon Hernandez and Aaron Krause join Will Spencer and Neil Noakes for a powerful discussion on moral injury, officer shootings, justice system failures, and the role of faith in modern policing. A faith-anchored conversation about courage, leadership, and healing the soul of our nation.
23 Jan 2026
#004 Mattie Parker - How Fort Worth's Mayor is Revolutionizing First Responder Support
In this powerful episode of Post-Op Reflections, host Neil Noakes sits down with Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and co-host Dr. Heather Twedell, forensic psychologist and Dallas Cowboys team psychologist. Mayor Parker reveals how the R3 Program is transforming first responder wellness while sharing how her small-town roots shaped her leadership approach. Dr. Twedell offers expert insights on addressing trauma and promoting mental health in high-pressure professions. Discover how these two remarkable women are breaking barriers and creating lasting change in traditionally male-dominated fields. A must-watch conversation on leadership, wellness, and building stronger communities.
In this episode of Post-Op Reflections, Brad Hunstable courageously shares the heartbreaking story of losing his son Hayden to suicide, offering raw insights into grief and the path to renewed purpose. Joined by Forth Worth Fire Department Chaplain Cliff Weaver, who reflects on the traumatic calls that tested his resilience and faith.
4 Dec 2025
#002 Reuben Ramirez - Former Assistant Chief Exposing the Silent Crisis in Policing
Reuben G. Ramirez spent nearly 30 years wearing a Dallas Police badge, rising to Assistant Chief and leading some of the department’s most demanding bureaus. He was there for the worst days—the critical incidents, the 7/7 ambush that changed the department forever, and the quiet, unseen toll those moments took on his people. After decades of watching too many officers struggle in silence—and some lose their lives to suicide—Reuben decided “reactive” help wasn’t enough.
In this conversation, Reuben joins us to talk about Checkpoints, his nationally recognized framework and book, CHECKPOINTS: The Blueprint to Emotional Health for First Responders, which calls out a hard truth: for years, wellness systems waited until officers were already broken before offering help. Drawing on his experience building the Dallas Police Department’s Wellness Unit and creating the Checkpoints program for proactive, post-incident emotional check-ins, he lays out a path to cultural change—one that treats emotional health as seriously as officer safety.
11 Nov 2025
#001 Dr. Ben Carson & Craig Morgan on America’s Silent War | Veteran's Day Special
In this Veterans Day special of Post-Op Reflections, hosts Will Spencer(Retired Navy SEAL) and Neil Noakes(Retired Police Chief) sit down with Dr. Ben Carson and country music legend Craig Morgan for a powerful, faith-driven conversation about healing, courage, and the fight for America’s soul.
7 Nov 2025
Veterans Day Launch with Dr. Ben Carson & Craig Morgan
This Veterans Day, the American Warrior Association launches Post-Op Reflections, a faith-driven video podcast amplifying the resilient stories of service members, veterans, first responders, and their families as they heal from moral injury—a silent crisis affecting 46% of post-9/11 veterans—and rediscover purpose in mind, body, and soul.
Get a 60-second glimpse into our powerful 3-hour premiere episode, featuring renowned guests Dr. Ben Carson and country music star Craig Morgan, hosted by retired Navy SEAL Will Spencer and retired Police Chief Neil Noakes. Dive deep into veteran challenges, the role of faith, our nation's direction, and timely current events—all delivered with hopeful, insightful, and uplifting perspectives that inspire renewal and community.
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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