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The Parachute Regiment & Plant Medicine | Keith J Abraham #369

Posted on 24 August 202324 August 2023 by Chris Thrall

The Parachute Regiment & Plant Medicine, features Keith J Abraham who is a veteran paratrooper & champion of plant medicine for healing.

The Parachute Regiment & Plant Medicine

The Parachute Regiment & Plant Medicine, features Keith J Abraham who served with the Parachute regiment. He served in both the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Keith is the CEO of Heroic Hearts UK and a champion of plant therapy to aid mental health.

Transcript from ‘The Parachute Regiment & Plant Medicine’ podcast

Keith – Of course we all have our things that inform us as adults. I can’t then claim that as trauma for me. Certainly not big T trauma if we’re using that terminology. But relationships caused me issues. My earliest one, she was the mother of my eldest son. That relationship broke down and that was a catalyst for me joining the parachute regiment. It was a perfect storm of events because that relationship broke down, then 9/11 happened. I always wanted to join the military anyway, but I felt while I was certainly traumatised by that relationship, there was a freedom from it as well.

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Royal Marines King’s Badge To Kingsman | Kev Bland | Bought The T-Shirt #310

Posted on 7 January 20237 January 2023 by Chris Thrall

Royal Marines King’s Badge To Kingsman, features Kev Bland who served with the Royal Air Force before becoming a Royal Marines Commando.

Royal Marines King’s Badge To Kingsman | Kev Bland

Kev Bland served in the Royal Air Force, then became a Royal Marines Commando. He is now CEO of The Leg-Up Project. This was a direct response to the heart-breaking number of men, some good friends, taking their own lives. Kev has also acted in some major films, including Kingsman, Stratton and Criminal with Ryan Reynolds, Gary Oldman and Kevin Costner.

Transcript from ‘Royal Marines King’s Badge To Kingsman’ podcast

Kev – We got in these grots and you know there’s loads of stories that were spooky and all that. I opened up the locker and it’s like a cash bag you know, those canvas cash bags? I think they just got back from Belize so I stuff that in my car. You’re young and when you say stuff like that nowadays, it sounds horrific. I chucked it in my car and took it home. We had a few goes with this sawn-off shotgun and eventually someone says, Kev you’ll get seven years if you get caught with that! I’m only shooting bits and bobs so I ditched that. 40 commando was not for me and I didn’t have a good time. I had so much going on at that point in my life and with the injury I just hadn’t got a stress management technique.

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3 Para TOXIC Veterans & All That Jazz | Dr Stuart Griffiths | Bought The T-Shirt #305

Posted on 5 December 20225 December 2022 by Chris Thrall

3 Para, TOXIC Veterans & All That Jazz, features Stuart Griffiths, a world-wide known photographer, film maker and budding saxophonist legend.

3 Para, TOXIC Veterans & All That Jazz | Dr Stuart Griffiths 3 Para

Dr Stuart Griffiths is a veteran of 3 Parachute Regiment and an award-winning photographer. Stuart’s photographs have been published internationally in VICE, Vanity Fair, The Guardian, Observer, Independent & Sunday Times Magazine. His books include, ‘The Myth Of The Airborne Warrior’ and ‘Pig’s Disco’. His new film entitled, Isolation, traces Stuart Griffiths’ extraordinary life.

Transcript from ‘3 Para, TOXIC Veterans & All That Jazz’ podcast

Stuart – Back in 1983 I was learning the Alto-sax and they said, we’ll have you in the band. I said, just like that? He says yes, because you’ve got your parachute wings. When you join the regimental band, you don’t do P-company. You do four weeks basic training and then you go to the academy. I already saw problems just through serving alcohol to these senior nco’s. This world as a paratrooper in 3 Para, was going to be problematic. So I went and had an interview with a band master and he said, have a go on the tenor. I was good on the Alto and baritone. The baritone’s massive and he could probably thought we’ll get him on that because it weighs a ton.

So I went to have a few beers in the NAFI bar in Palace barracks. Then I met this guy from Grimsby from B-Company. I told him I’d just been accepted to join the regimental band and he says, you don’t want to do that. You want to join ‘battling B’, Gypsy platoon, do you know what I mean? Then he started listing who was in the company and there was all these kind of like celebrities from the Para’s TV series. Sergeant Riley, who is now a sergeant major Riley, although they called him Mavis Riley. That was his nick-name.

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Royal Marines Commando Recruit Troop Boss And Kat! | Bought The T-Shirt #302

Posted on 21 November 202221 November 2022 by Chris Thrall

Royal Marines Commando Recruit Troop Boss, features Jock Hutchison who founded Horseback UK to help veterans with PTSD.

Royal Marines Commando Recruit Troop Boss And Kat!

Jock Hutchison is president and co-founder of Horseback UK. He was a commissioned officer in the Royal Marines and saw service all over the world. Jock was selected to be a helicopter pilot and served across all branches of the British Armed Forces. Horseback UK was set up to help veterans with life-changing injuries, although that demographic has changed to include civilians.
Kat Henderson worked as a nurse in Australia, before joining the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. After being an outdoors adventurer, she had a life changing moment from a biking accident in France, which saw her paralysed from the waist down. She is now on the team with Horseback UK.

Transcript from ‘Royal Marines Commando Recruit Troop Boss And Kat!’ podcast

Jock – We help people from the military community and others and our job is to help people that have really hit rock bottom, to reconnect to their former self and re-establish themselves in the world. I’ll talk about that as we go on but that’s our mission.

Chris – Is that how you met Kat and do you want to explain how that came about?

Jock – Yes I’ll introduce Kat. You know I was a member of our team, the Royal Marines which encouraged values that have never left me. Speaking to Chris, it’s great to hear that you know whatever happens in life, I don’t think that kind of experience ever leaves you. We needed to put a team together to help the work that we do and at the heart of that idea is the idea of empowering people from within the community.

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Operator Bodyguard Soldier | Gina Allsop | Bought The T-Shirt #294

Posted on 26 September 202226 September 2022 by Chris Thrall

Operator Bodyguard Soldier, features Gina Allsop, a Royal Signals Regiment, who’s career involved special operations & close protection duties.

Operator Bodyguard Soldier | Gina Allsop | Bought The T-Shirt Podcast

Gina Allsop’s military career started in the 30th Signals Regiment, nick-named the ‘Globetrotters’. In conflict or crisis, they were one of the first units out there due to their state of the art communications. Gina went on to train US Delta-Force and Navy Seals in surveillance and tactics. After serving all over the world, Gina was due to retire. Aged 30, her new career was working in close protection for high-profile personalities. She turned down the offer of being Britney Spears’ body guard, as she wouldn’t be able to work undercover again. Diagnosed with PTSD, Gina received help from SSAFA and took on her own charity events, to help raise money for other veterans.

Transcript from ‘Operator Bodyguard Soldier’ podcast

Gina – When I’m on tour I try and help the local community, so if there’s things set up, I will try and do it. I used to go and see the orphans when I had some down time. You used to go and and play with them and chat to them. That’s like you know, the reality of war isn’t it, because you do see that is quite heartbreaking. I remember we used to take chocolate bars and I had a big box of Twix and I got them all running at me and I was handing out twixes. This one little kid came up with his face covered in chocolate. I had to give him another one because it was like, the cheek of him was brilliant.

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The FALKLANDS WAR Horror You NEVER Hear | 40th Anniversary

Posted on 29 April 202229 April 2022 by Chris Thrall

The Falklands War horror you never hear, features Sean from the Royal Navy chatting with Chris about war and traumatic stress disorder.

The FALKLANDS WAR Horror You NEVER Hear | 40th Anniversary

Sean and Chris chat about the horrors of war and post traumatic stress disorder. Sean is a veteran of the Royal Navy and his father served as a Royal Marine. Sadly, Sean’s father suffered with PTSD and took his own life.

Transcript from ‘The FALKLANDS WAR Horror You NEVER Hear’ podcast

Sean – My trade was survival equipment and I worked closely with air crew and stuff like that. I did some survival, so basically packing life rafts, parachutes and anything that you get air crew to do. I did 5 drills dunker air, which was running around new forest and getting stripped naked afterwards. The interrogation bit that was easy so I got marked above average from joint services interrogation organization. I did a few ships company drafts squadrons of 771, search and rescue and bounced around Illustrious. Then out in the middle east a bit.

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I Lost EIGHT Stone & RAN A 100-MILE Ultramarathon | Podcast #248

Posted on 11 April 202211 April 2022 by Chris Thrall

I Lost eight stone & ran a 100 mile ultramarathon, features Richard Wilcox, a veteran of the Staffordshire Regiment.

I Lost EIGHT Stone & RAN A 100-MILE Ultramarathon

Richard Wilcox served with the Staffordshire Regiment. After suffering with PTSD, Richard became seriously overweight during the first lockdown period in 2020. He decided to change his lifestyle. After watching videos of ultra running online, he was inspired to take up the sport. He signed up for a 100 mile race and spent a year in intense training. By the end of that year, he’d lost eight stone in the process.

Richard has now taken on 30 marathons in thirty days, to raise money for the mental health charity, Combat Stress. In total, Richard ran for 150 hours and covered more than 790 miles. He’d climbed a total elevation of 61,582ft, equating to getting to the summit of Everest twice. So far, his extraordinary efforts have raised just over £1,500 for Combat Stress. Thank you to Andrew Marshall for bringing Richard’s story to our attention.

Transcript from ‘I Lost EIGHT Stone & RAN A 100-MILE Ultramarathon’ podcast

Richard – I used to get pretty out of breath just going up the stairs and just walking up a slight incline. A hill would have me out of breath and I would have to stop if it was a big hill. There was one ill on holiday and it was probably about 500 meters, with quite a steep incline. I’d stop off wide just for a breather and my grandkids on another holiday were making fun of me.

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Exocet INBOUND | HMS Glasgow In The Falklands | Podcast #239

Posted on 28 February 202228 February 2022 by Chris Thrall

Exocet inbound, HMS Glasgow in the Falklands, features Andy Williams, who served in the Royal Navy and as a firefighter.

Exocet INBOUND | HMS Glasgow In The Falklands

Andy Williams is a veteran of the Royal Navy and served on HMS Glasgow during the Falklands War. Glasgow saw action early in the war when her Lynx helicopter severely damaged the Argentine naval vessel, Alferez Sobral. Glasgow then detected an Exocet missile fired at the Task Force and warned the fleet. HMS Sheffield failed to receive the warning and was hit, later sinking. Andy found himself just inches away from an Argentine missile that struck the side of his ship. Luckily, Glasgow managed to stay in the fight, taking on the role of long-range fleet defence. After leaving the Royal Navy, Andy became a firefighter and with years of experience, he pulls no punches in describing his work and his observations regarding recent emergencies in London. He now works as a trauma specialist, helping people to deal with PTSD.

Transcript from ‘Exocet INBOUND’ podcast

Andy – We got dragged down into the engine room by the chief stoker, to set about repairing the two huge holes on the water line. It was amazing going down the ladder and seeing daylight in the engine room. That just blew me away and bright green sea cascading through these great big holes.

Within a relatively short amount of time we were shifting a huge amount of water and we set about fixing it. We were freezing and we didn’t have a chance to put our orange survival suits on.

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