Randy Taylor became a soldier to serve America. But he was forced to live a life plagued by paranoia, secrecy and isolation. For years, Randy hid his true identity while risking his life in the United States Army. This is his harrowing, untold story.
Unfit for Service is an 8-episode series with new episodes publishing Monday mornings. Series launches with the first two episodes on October 21.
Unfit for Service is a production of Wavland and Vespucci and is hosted by Eric Marcus.
“Exposes the awful toxicity of making gay people unwelcome in the military, through the story of one very sweet man." – The Guardian
It was 1985, the so-called “Year of the Spy”. The CIA had been losing Soviet assets left and right; the first loss seemed like bad luck, but four in a row? That wasn't a coincidence— it was a deadly leak. And just as the Agency was scrambling to find answers, across the world, a KGB colonel named Vitaly Yurchenko walked into the American embassy in Rome and volunteered his services in exchange for immediate exfiltration to the United States.
At the time, Yurchenko was the highest-ranked KGB officer ever to defect to America, and the Agency felt it had hit the jackpot. Instead, his defection would go on to become one of the most dizzying, high-stakes espionage debacles of the last century. Although many of his bombshell revelations were bonafide, a doubt soon began haunting the intelligence community: Was Vitaly Yurchenko telling the whole truth? And if not... What had he been sent to hide?
2 Dec 2024
A Normal Life | Chapter 8
Randy recounts his journey to a normal life after the end of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' era, exploring what normalcy means to him.
25 Nov 2024
The Vote | Chapter 7
Randy struggles to envision a reality without the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy as debates rage amongst the public, press, and politicians.
18 Nov 2024
Brothers In Arms | Chapter 6
Randy is invited to The White House. All eyes of the Secret Service will be on him and his private life. Randy is terrified, but how can he say no to the President?
11 Nov 2024
Send Off | Chapter 5
Randy's life has become a covert, paranoid and isolated operation. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" rages on and the pressure mounts as Randy is deployed to an active war zone.
4 Nov 2024
Mineland | Chapter 4
Temperatures and tensions rise as Randy is deployed to the desert. Surrounded by landmines, shifting sands and circling vultures, Randy struggles to keep his relationship a secret.
28 Oct 2024
Outcast | Chapter 3
As Randy learns more about himself, the future he envisioned evaporates. An unexpected encounter lands him in a thrilling but dangerous reality.
21 Oct 2024
The Policy | Chapter 2
Randy implements the military's new "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. But soon, he finds himself in forbidden territory.
21 Oct 2024
The Soldier | Chapter 1
Randy Taylor, a young soldier from Ohio, leaves his family behind for the US Army. But, will his new life be everything he hopes it will be?
7 Oct 2024
Trailer: Unfit For Service
Randy Taylor is a soldier in the United States military. He also has a secret he can't tell.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
9,433,758
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
312 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
