Behind The Shield

I welcome back Navy SEAL Master Chief Jason Gardner and his wife Iris; a horse wrangler and former EMT. We discuss the elements of a successful marriage, sexual abuse, overcoming trauma, parenting, fasting and much, much more. Jason Gardner is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, combat leader, and now a leadership instructor and speaker with Echelon Front. Jason spent nearly three decades in the SEAL Teams with eight deployments across the globe. With experience operating in violent cities in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Jason has seen first-hand the power of the leadership lessons taught at Echelon Front. He brings perspective from every level of leadership from a front line SEAL sniper to the SEAL Team FIVE Command Master Chief. As a lead instructor for Naval Special Warfare Group One Training Detachment, he created and implemented realistic and challenging special operations combat training to better prepare SEAL units for the real-world battlefield. Throughout his career, he worked alongside Jocko, Leif, and several members of the Echelon Front team developing the same principles and mindsets taught to companies across every industry. He is the recipient of the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and numerous other awards. After his retirement from the US Navy, Jason brings unmatched experience with combat leadership in dynamic environments, building winning teams, and developing relationships across all levels of an organization. He serves as a leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor at Echelon Front. Iris Gardner is a horse wrangler, writer and former EMT.

John Ryan is a seasoned law enforcement professional with over four decades of distinguished service at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. He rose through the ranks from Police Officer to Detective Lieutenant Commander and served as Chief of Department in 2012. Throughout his career, he held leadership roles in multiple regional, federal, and joint task forces, including the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force where he served as a Commander for both the NY Office and the Newark FBI. He was part of the Executive Board for both the NY office and Newark FBI, NYPD HIDTA, NJSP Regional Operations Center and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. He served as the Commander of the Rescue and Recovery Task Force Operation at the World Trade Center from September 11, 2001, until its conclusion in June 2002, and has been involved in every aspect of the rebuilding mission. His career reflects a deep commitment to public safety, interagency collaboration, and national resilience.

Robert Burke is an actor and a nineteen year veteran firefighter. We discuss his early life, his journey into acting, the tragedy that inspired his fire service career, portraying General Mattis in Generation Kill, working on Rescue Me, martial arts, altruism and so much more.

With more than 30 years in medicine, including a background in diagnostic and interventional radiology, Jerome Puryear helps people navigate one of the hardest parts of modern healthcare: knowing what to trust, what matters most, and what to do next. His work focuses on cutting through conflicting advice, misinformation, overlooked warning signs, and complex medical information so people can make clearer, more intentional decisions about their health. At the center of his work is The Puryear Lens, a simple three-step framework for making better decisions when health information feels noisy or overwhelming: Clarify. Focus. Respond. It helps people separate signal from noise, identify what matters, and take an intentional next step, especially when making decisions about their health. For over 30 years, Dr. Jerome Puryear has helped people look beneath the surface of their health. As a radiologist and interventional physician, he has seen what most people never do the early progression of chronic disease, the hidden inflammation, the silent damage that begins long before symptoms appear. Those years taught him a powerful truth: most disease is preventable. While many patients receive advice, few receive the tools to make sustainable lifestyle changes. Dr. Puryear’s mission became clear to guide people across the wellness bridge between knowledge and action. He focuses on preventive medicine, functional health, and evidence-based wellness strategies that empower individuals to regain control of their health before disease takes hold. After completing his residency and fellowship training at The University of Alabama at Birmingham and Jackson Memorial Hospital, Dr. Puryear pursued board certification as a Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) through Duke University and advanced certification in Obesity Medicine. Instead of simply treating illness, he committed to helping people build long-term vitality, resilience, and longevity. He later developed the CLARITY Bridge™, a structured, science-backed framework that blends behavioral health coaching, functional medicine principles, sustainable lifestyle change, and personalized wellness strategies. It’s designed to help individuals align daily habits with deeper values creating real, lasting transformation. Dr. Puryear’s books go beyond information they equip. Each page gives readers the insights, tools, and motivation needed to break free from self-defeating habits and move toward a healthier, stronger, and more vibrant life. His work supports anyone seeking integrative wellness, disease prevention, or the path to healthy aging. https://www.drjeromepuryear.com/

Timmy Gleason is a veteran Miami firefighter and member of USAR TF-2. We discuss losing his home to a hurricane as a child, his journey into the fire service, the Haitian earthquake, Hurricane Ian, the Surfside collapse, his own powerful mental health story, addiction, suicide, post traumatic growth and so much more.