A veteran’s origin story rarely starts where you expect. Ours opens with Gomer Pyle, a folded flag at a funeral, and a seventeen-year-old who thought honor was simple—until basic training taught him what that flag really costs. From there, we ride with a retired Black first sergeant through three decades of infantry life, where discipline arrives early, identity gets tested often, and promotions can hinge on more than performance.

We dig into the questions many whisper but few put on tape: What happens when bias shadows your career? How do you counsel a young person weighing service against the claim that the military is a “white man’s Army”? He shares a raw story from Korea about a promotion penciled over for someone who’d already left, then contrasts that with a counterexample from our host—two truths coexisting inside one institution. The tension sets the stage for a wider look at race, merit, and the uneven progress from the Vietnam era to now.

Faith threads through the conversation with real vulnerability. Dragged to church as a boy, he found his way back as a soldier in Korea—after twice failing to walk through the door. That return sparked a habit of reading, testing, and refusing easy answers. We wrestle with a big claim—“Christianity is a white man’s religion”—by separating origins from empires, belief from weaponization, and spirituality from labels. He argues for character and conscience over tribe, and for reading widely so your convictions grow roots instead of slogans.

We close on the government shutdown with a ground-level view: TSA and air traffic controllers working without pay, military towns bracing, safety margins thinning, and leaders insulated from the fallout. It’s not politics for sport when your mortgage, medical care, and flight paths depend on it. Along the way you’ll hear humor, candor, and a hard-won takeaway: know who you are in and out of uniform, question what doesn’t add up, and keep learning long after you hang up the boots.

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A powerful conversation unfolds as Gregory Henry joins D Allen Rose to explore the complex terrain of military moral injury — that profound emotional wound that occurs when service members face actions contradicting their deepest moral beliefs. Drawing from their Desert Storm experiences, they share raw memories that still resonate decades later: close calls with enemy combatants, witnessing civilian casualties, and confronting the human cost of war.

Their discussion delves into how Christian veterans reconcile faith commands against killing with military duty, revealing the unique spiritual dimension of military service for believers. Greg recounts haunting memories of injured children and burnt bodies that challenged his understanding of warfare beyond the sanitized Hollywood depictions. "When you hear a round," he reminds us, "it ain't like TV."

The conversation shifts to examine current political developments with veteran-focused perspective. They discuss the unprecedented federal workforce reductions affecting thousands of veterans and analyze proposed eliminations of departments like Education. Their insider perspective as federal employees adds urgency to their concerns about families suddenly facing unemployment after relocating for government service.

Perhaps most compelling is their examination of Black male representation in media and leadership positions. They reflect on the powerful impact President Obama's image had on younger generations and contrast it with the current scarcity of strong, positive Black male figures in mainstream media. This cultural examination connects directly to veteran identity, as both aspects speak to representation in American society.

Throughout their exchange runs a thread of resilience and practical wisdom: maintain personal peace, build multiple income streams, prepare for uncertainty, and nurture the next generation with confidence and cultural awareness. For veterans and civilians alike, their dialogue offers rare insight into how military experience shapes perspectives on faith, duty, representation, and American society at large.

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Join the conversation with Sergeant Major Roy Lewis, a US Army veteran with a riveting 36-year legacy, as he traverses the poignant realities of military life, its effect on home, and the wisdom gained along his impressive journey. With an infectious blend of humor and profundity, Roy guides us through his transformation from a music and theater aficionado to a life of service, sharing potent lessons from his transitions to the corporate world and ministry. His reflections on intentional leadership will captivate anyone looking for inspiration, as will his experience building the sanctuary of Urban Christian Veterans for comrades of faith and color.

We're cracking open the book on modern education and its shifting sands, analyzing how college has evolved from a bastion of enlightenment to a battleground for job readiness. Roy and I ruminate on the pressures bearing down on academia's stakeholders, from students seeking more than just a diploma to educators striving to maintain the ethos of learning amidst a corporate-driven culture. The dialogue spans everything from personal anecdotes as a mature student to the celebration of knowledge for its own sake, providing a seasoned angle on the educational odyssey many are embarking upon today.

The journey doesn't stop there: we venture into the thicket of racism, the art of overcoming stereotypes, and the fortitude it takes to forge one's path regardless of societal barriers. Roy's perspective, shaped by the discipline of military experience and the compassion of his pastoral calling, offers a beacon of hope for minorities and veterans alike. With a call to mentorship and community support, our discussion underlines the importance of veterans assisting each other in claiming their rightful benefits, while encouraging leadership and resilience in the face of life's myriad challenges. This episode is more than just a chat; it's an invitation to explore the power of diversity, the strength of spirit, and the unifying potential of shared experiences.