Two hours of sleep. Fresh out the club. Standing in military formation. What was in my pocket had absolutely no business being there. š #MilitaryHumor #WorkHardPlayHard #OnlyInTheMilitary
MJ put it perfectly... while she's freaking out, her veteran spouse is already in problem-solving mode. Calm and focused. Almost like he's been waiting for something to go wrong just so he can fix it. š¤£ That's not a coincidence. That's years of training showing up in real life! Forā¦
You spend months counting down to getting home. Then you get there and something's just... off. The relationships feel different. The conversations feel different. The way people communicate doesn't quite match the way you're wired anymore. David and KP both know that feeling. Two GWOT veterans who can talk toā¦
The name is provocative, but the mission is real. MJ built a brand around dark humor and veteran culture... F**k Veterans is all about helping veterans and military members who are looking for genuine connection. Dating after service is tough. Reintegration is already hard enough without trying to explain yourselfā¦
A shocking name can hide a serious purpose, and thatās exactly what drew me into MJ and Davidās work. Theyāre the creators behind a viral Instagram community that celebrates veterans, makes civilians laugh, and quietly does something most āsupport the troopsā content never touches: helping veterans date, reconnect, and feelā¦
You can hate on me for this, but it needs to be said: your ego is keeping you from your next level. Sometimes it's arrogance. And sometimes it shows up as "I only do what I'm good at." The willingness to be bad at something new... to show up asā¦
Most people wouldn't connect the table-top game, Warhammer 40K to healing from combat, but Mike Keevil does. After years of being wired, always on, and running from himself... it was the hobby that helped him ask the question that actually mattered. Not "where am I going?" But "who am I?"ā¦
Most people don't know that when your teammates get medevaced... their gear stays with the platoon. Someone carries it. On top of everything else. That was Mike Keevil... heavy ruck, at full sprint, uphill, and in the dark. Full episode with Recon Marine Mike Keevil is available on The Morningā¦
Mike Keevil helped make me harder to kill. That's not an exaggeration. The training he put me through showed up in real time last week when I ran CQB alongside trained law enforcement and held my own. This episode is a long time coming. We talk about it all... combat,ā¦
130-pound ruck. Mountains. Moving 0.1 kilometers an hour. No quick comms. No shortcuts. Just slow, deliberate movement... because in Recon, speed can get people killed. Mike Keevil breaks down what a long-range recon patrol actually looks like. This is just one piece of a conversation that goes deep. Mike alsoā¦
Most of the doors that change your life, open up because you were willing to say "yes" to the unknown. Mike Keevil didn't build his life by waiting for perfect conditions. He said yes when he didn't know the outcome. He jumped when he couldn't see the landing. That's theā¦
"šš°š£š°š„šŗ š¬šÆš°šøš“ šøš©š¢šµ š šøš¦šÆšµ šµš©š³š°š¶šØš©." That thought keeps a lot of veterans (and a lot of people in general) isolated. Recon Marine Mike Keevil pushes back on it hard. The details may differ between all of us, but the weight of the trauma doesn't. Whether it's combat, a toxicā¦
We do a lot to take care of ourselves physically: we train, we push, we stay sharp. But mental health? Thatās the part a lot of people avoid. Check out the full conversation with Mike Keevil of 40K Dirtbags, available now on The Morning Formation Podcast. š§ šššššš£ š¾š¤šØš© š¤šā¦
I remember standing there thinkingā¦ "that couldāve been us." Moments like that stay with you. Because sometimes itās not about skill, experience, or preparation. Sometimesā¦ itās just circumstance. This clip comes from the newest episode of šš©š¦ šš°š³šÆšŖšÆšØ šš°š³š®š¢šµšŖš°šÆ šš°š„š¤š¢š“šµ. Check it out on YouTube or wherever you get yourā¦
Thereās a point where the mission changes and you have to figure out what comes next. For Mike Keevil, that didnāt happen all at once. It went from combatā¦ to transitioning out of the militaryā¦ to finding something completely different. Warhammer started as an outlet. Then it became his community.ā¦
Thereās a moment after the mission changes where you have to figure out who you are again. For Mike, part of that process came through something unexpected. Warhammer. Not just a game... but strategy, creativity, competition, and a community that gave him a space to rebuild, learn, and be aā¦
Not every bad decision punishes you right away. Some sit quietly for years, stacking interest, until they show up in your marriage, your drinking, your patience, and the way you talk to yourself in the mirror. Thatās where this conversation with Marine Recon veteran and competitive shooter Mike Keevil getsā¦
Thereās what you think something is going to be likeā¦ ā¦and then thereās reality. Mike shared a moment from combat where he heard a grenade call and, for a split second, his mind went to something familiar. A video game. But in real life, thereās no perfect angle, no reset,ā¦
Mike volunteered to deploy to Iraq with a certain understanding of what his role would be. Once he arrived, that understanding changed. Check out Part 1 of my conversation with Mike Keevil on The Morning Formation podcast. Part 2 will be airing next week! #MilitaryStories #VeteranStories
Not every moment in combat is action. Mike Keevil shared a moment where rounds were coming down an alleyway, there was no clear target, no real cover, and nowhere to move. And in that momentā¦ all he could do was stand there and wait. Thatās a side of these experiencesā¦
When I went through Army basic training, I got put in as a squad leader early onā¦ and somehow never got fired the entire cycle. Looking back, I think they just forgot about me half the time. But I took it seriously. I made sure my squad was squared away,ā¦
Thereās something powerful about someone taking the time to teach you when they donāt have to. Mike Keevil shared a moment where he didnāt fully understand what he was doing, and instead of pretending, he asked for help. Thankfully, someone stepped up and showed him. What stuck with me isā¦
A lot of people see the highlight reel. They donāt always see the reality behind it. When I sat down with Mike Keevil @40kdirtbags he shared what life actually looked like in certain moments during his time in the service... including going nearly 3 MONTHS without a shower while deployed.ā¦
When Mike decided he wanted to go Recon, there wasnāt a clear roadmap. No YouTube videos. No step-by-step guide. So he did something simple... he asked someone who had already done it. The answer he got? Do the work. Then do more of it. Moments like this remind me thatā¦