Tango Alpha Lima Podcast

Adrienne Borghoff left a small town in southern Illinois to see the world, following her family into the Air Force as a broadcast journalist. Fourteen years later, she had served in Korea, Iceland and Italy and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a combat photographer, becoming the only member of her family to serve in a war zone. Now an actor, storyteller and creator in New York City, Borghoff is turning that experience into "No Missions," a play about two women in the military on a day with nothing on the schedule and plenty to argue about. The Air Force veteran talks about why the transition to civilian life is harder than any briefing prepares you for, how interviewing, scripting and editing in the military built the career she has today, and why the hardest story to write is the one you lived. Also in this episode, co-hosts Adam Marr and Stacy Pearsall tell the story of a 20-year-old Marine combat photographer in Vietnam whose split-second decision saved three Marines and earned him a posthumous Medal of Honor, and dig into how military service shaped the storytellers behind "Platoon," "Training Day," "Fury," "The Godfather" and "Twilight Zone."Your stories. Your service. Your community. This is Tango Alpha Lima. Get to know our guest, Adrienne Borghoff Learn more about Public Theatre Learn more about the S.O.A.R campaign Read the full story of Medal of Honor recipient, Col. Edward T. Perkins Jr.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Air Force 1st Lt. Heather "Lucky" Penney launched from Andrews Air Force Base in an unarmed F-16 with orders to stop United Flight 93 by ramming it, if that's what it took. Twenty-five years later, on the eve of the 25th 9/11 anniversary, the retired Air Force major joins Tango Alpha Lima to tell the full story: the plan she and her flight lead worked out in a briefing room, the peace she says she felt with it, and the passengers fought the terrorists and made the mission unnecessary. Plus, the rest of her story beyond the day of the terrorist attack: being told at Purdue University that "girls can't be fighter pilots," two combat deployments, night "Scud hunter" missions over Iraq, and a retirement advocating for the next generation of aviators with the Mitchell Institute. Also in this episode: Constitution Day, the history of women in aviation, and the Mitchell Institute's new report on the space frontier. SHOW LINKS Learn more about how to celebrate Constitution Day Treat lower back pain with restorative neurostimulation. Visit Reactiv8 Learn more about Heather "Lucky" Penney Enter to win a Humvee with The American Legion Drive for Freedom Sweepstakes Learn about the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies mission Visit The American Legion Grassroots Action Center and learn about our legislative priorities

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman — aka “The Wingman” — flew 65 combat missions over Iraq and Serbia as an F-16 pilot before becoming a Hall of Fame leadership speaker and best-selling author of “Never Fly Solo.” In this episode, Waldman joins host Joe Worley (flying solo himself this week) to talk about overcoming a fear of heights, surviving a near-death scuba diving accident, and building the trust and accountability that define great “wingmen.” Key takeaway? Resilience isn’t built alone. Waldman previews his keynote address at The American Legion National Convention in Louisville, Ky., and shares details on his upcoming book, “Commit, Commit,” releasing Veterans Day.

Heather French Henry was crowned Miss America in 2000 but her commitment to veterans took root decades earlier, shaped by her father's struggles after the Vietnam War and her uncle's experience with homelessness. In this episode, Henry talks about growing up in small-town Kentucky, using her national platform to bring veteran issues into Congress and the White House, and building a career advocating for military families that continues 26 years later. She'll be honored with The American Legion's "Good Guy" Award at its national convention in Louisville, Ky. Other topics include Kentucky's new Robert E. Spiller Veteran Center and a program helping veterans receive long-term care at home.

Retired Gen. Matt Smith spent more than 30 years in the Army and National Guard, commanding at every level from company to brigade and serving in strategic roles at the Pentagon. Now, as executive director of Veteran Initiatives at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, he's on a mission to help transitioning servicemembers translate their military leadership into civilian career success. On episode 313 of Tango Alpha Lima, Smith talks about his "Leave It to Beaver" childhood, his path into the Army, and how he now leads Emory's Master of Business for Veterans program. The one-year accredited degree is designed for servicemembers with 20-plus years of service. He breaks down why NCOs are "the ultimate salespeople," how he's educating civilian employers on the value veterans bring to the workforce, and what makes veteran students different from the rest of higher ed. Also in this episode, podcast hosts Stacy Pearsall, Adam Marr and Joe Worley discuss: How the USS Skate made the impossible possible at the North Pole in 1958 America’s oldest military decoration that dates back to the Revolutionary War. Why yelling “Geronimo!" became a military tradition thanks to a U.S. Army paratrooper in 1940 at Fort Benning, Ga. Recruit Miliary and Hiring our Heroes Enter our sweepstakes to win a Humvee Emory University Goizueta Business School Gen. Matt Smith on LinkedIn Tell us Why You Love Your Service Animal