The Beaten Zone

John Mark Wilson
  • 5.0 (3)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Beaten Zone is a storytelling project that shares the raw, personal truths of war from ordinary people who served, lived, and worked in conflict zones. Our goal is to thoughtfully document their experiences and contribute to a more complete understanding of war. Our guests will also talk about how they carry those experiences today. We don't glamorize war or those who experience it. We only seek a deeper understanding of war so future generations will approach it with seriousness. 🎧 What to Expect: • Unscripted, unfiltered stories of service and survival • Guests from around the world, military and civilian • No spin. No propaganda. Just lived experience. • A project grounded in honesty, clarity, and respect 🐾 100% for a Cause All proceeds from The Beaten Zone go directly to Operation Freedom Paws, a nonprofit that pairs veterans with service dogs — saving lives on both ends of the leash. Learn more about OFP here https://operationfreedompaws.org/

  1. FEB 13

    Chris Upp: Afghanistan, PTSD & Life After War (Part 2)

    Chris Upp spent more than eight years of his life in combat. In Part 2 of our conversation, we focus on his time in Afghanistan — including the Chow K Valley and Kunar Province — where firefights were frequent, loss was personal, and leadership was tested daily. This episode is not about awards. It is about what remains after the shooting stops. Chris reflects on: Combat operations in Afghanistan Losing close friends in war Survivor’s guilt PTSD and the long road after deployment The responsibility of leadership under fire The difficult decision to retire after decades of service Afghanistan was one chapter in a long combat career — but for Chris, it was the chapter that reshaped everything. The Beaten Zone explores the toll of combat, leadership under pressure, and the weight of life after war. If you or someone you know is struggling, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 in the United States: Dial 988 (Press 1).

    2h 2m
  2. SGM (Ret.) Chris “CT” Upp, U.S. Army: Nearly a Decade of Combat and the Weight of Leadership (Part 1)

    FEB 8

    SGM (Ret.) Chris “CT” Upp, U.S. Army: Nearly a Decade of Combat and the Weight of Leadership (Part 1)

    What does nearly a decade of continuous combat do to a person? In Part 1 of this conversation, retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major and Silver Star recipient Chris “CT” Upp sits down with host John Mark Wilson to reflect on his earliest experiences in war — beginning with Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan and continuing into the invasion of Iraq. CT doesn’t offer polished war stories or easy conclusions. He talks about uncertainty, exhaustion, leadership under pressure, and the responsibility senior NCOs carry long before anyone is ready to name it. This is a conversation about what it means to lead people in chaos — and what that leadership costs over time. This episode focuses on the beginning of CT’s combat journey. His experience is deep enough that it demanded more than one conversation, and this first part sets the foundation for everything that follows. This is not a highlight reel. It’s a reckoning. If you’re looking for simplified narratives about war, this isn’t it. If you’re willing to sit with complexity, this conversation is for you. About The Beaten Zone The Beaten Zone is a long-form storytelling project focused on the human cost of war. Through unscripted conversations with veterans and civilians who have lived inside conflict, the show documents experience, burden, and aftermath — without spin or spectacle.

    1h 20m
  3. Episode 13 --Fourteen Years Old and Ordered to Fight: A WWII Child Soldier’s Story with Heidi Langbein-Allen

    FEB 2

    Episode 13 --Fourteen Years Old and Ordered to Fight: A WWII Child Soldier’s Story with Heidi Langbein-Allen

    It’s easy to talk about World War II in maps, dates, and outcomes. It’s much harder to sit with what it meant for the people—especially the children—who were pulled into it. In this episode of The Beaten Zone, John Mark Wilson is joined by Heidi Langbein-Allen, co-author of Save the Last Bullet, her father Willy’s memoir. Willy was taken from his parents as a boy, pushed through a compulsory system of indoctrination, and sent into combat at just fourteen years old during the final collapse of Nazi Germany. He came face to face with Soviet forces in brutal close-range fighting. He watched classmates—also children—executed by the SS. He saw others crushed beneath Soviet tanks. And at an age when most children are still discovering who they are, he was forced to make moral choices measured in seconds, under fire, with no clean outcomes. This conversation explores the often-overlooked role of civilians in war—especially children who weren’t just caught in the crossfire, but ordered to fight. We talk about indoctrination, fear, survival, moral injury, and what it means to carry the physical and emotional wounds of war into adulthood. We also talk about what comes after: returning to a destroyed homeland, confronting the reality of Nazi atrocities, and finding a way to live with the unbearable tension of being both a victim of a regime and a participant in its war. Over a lifetime, Willy transformed that weight into something constructive—for his family, his country, and the broader effort to rebuild a democratic Europe. The Beaten Zone explores the cracks and seams of history—the stories that resist simplification. And one thing is clear: child soldiers are victims. Period.

    1h 33m
  4. Episode 12 -- CSM (ret) Todd Burnett: The Man Who Led the IED War--And Might Have Saved Your Life

    JAN 14

    Episode 12 -- CSM (ret) Todd Burnett: The Man Who Led the IED War--And Might Have Saved Your Life

    Some people save lives and never know whose. If you served in Iraq. If you drove the main supply routes. If you came home on a day when there was no obvious reason that you should have— there’s a chance today’s guest had something to do with that. In this episode of The Beaten Zone, John Mark Wilson sits down with Todd Burnett, a career U.S. Army combat engineer who spent years inside what became the defining threat of the Global War on Terror: the improvised explosive device. Todd didn’t study the IED problem from a distance. He lived it. He ran route clearance on some of the most dangerous roads in Iraq. He was present for hundreds of attacks—dozens of direct hits. He explains what an IED really is, why it was so devastating, and what it feels like when the blast goes off beneath you. The physical shock. The sensory chaos. The moment when radios fail, smoke fills the vehicle, and leaders have seconds to reassert control or lose everything. But this conversation goes far beyond explosions. Todd talks candidly about leadership under relentless pressure—how you take care of concussed soldiers, how you decide when someone needs time off the road, and what it means to truly “own” your people. He describes the burden of command when mistakes cost lives, and why accountability used to mean something different. From there, the story moves upstream. T odd later served at Joint IED Defeat Organization, where the mission wasn’t just to protect soldiers from blasts, but to attack the networks behind them. He speaks openly about pushing back against bad ideas, speaking truth to power on Capitol Hill and in the Pentagon, and fighting to move solutions at the speed of war—not the speed of bureaucracy. If you think JIEDDO was only about jammers and armored vehicles, this episode will change how you see the fight. Todd explains why defeating the device was never enough, why attacking the network mattered more, and why the lessons of the IED era still apply today—especially as drones become the next cheap, devastating weapon. The conversation then turns to West Point, where Todd served as Sergeant Major. He reflects on shaping future officers, teaching cadets what leadership actually looks like when the stakes are real, and why the 47-month journey of a cadet produces leaders who are often misunderstood—but deeply forged. Finally, Todd opens up about life after the uniform. Transitioning out of the Army. Entering the private sector with humility. Learning a new craft. Redefining success. And why faith, family, and friends matter more than rank ever did. This episode is about service that doesn’t make headlines. About leadership that happens in smoke, dust, and silence. And about the people who went first so others could come home. If you ever drove the road, this one’s for you. Let’s get into it.

    1h 41m
  5. Episode 11 --Cyberpunk, D&D, Neuroscience--Jed Todd's Unconventional Road to Iraq and His Return to His Roots

    12/23/2025

    Episode 11 --Cyberpunk, D&D, Neuroscience--Jed Todd's Unconventional Road to Iraq and His Return to His Roots

    What happens when an institution refuses to take small risks—and instead gambles everything on big ones? In this episode of The Beaten Zone, John Mark Wilson sits down with N. Jed Todd—a former PSYOP practitioner whose career spans poetry, Russian language, behavioral science, and the uncomfortable edges of modern war. Jed breaks down how risk aversion at junior levels can lead to catastrophic strategic failure, why bureaucracies punish initiative but reward expensive mistakes, and what the Russia-Ukraine war reveals about command culture, fear, and control. From information warfare to the cognitive domain, this is a conversation about how wars are really fought long before the shooting starts—and why the people closest to the problem are often the least empowered to solve it. This episode isn’t about slogans or platforms. It’s about decision-making under pressure, the human cost of bad incentives, and why letting leaders fail small may be the only way to avoid losing big. 🎧 The Beaten Zone — stories from the ground, not the podium.

    2h 18m
  6. Episode 10 --LtCol (ret) Jeff McCormack, USMC, Fallujah, 6 Combat Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan

    11/22/2025

    Episode 10 --LtCol (ret) Jeff McCormack, USMC, Fallujah, 6 Combat Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan

    Jeff McCormack is a warrior. He deployed six times to Iraq and Afghanistan and found himself in the middle of some of the most pivotal moments of those campaigns. He was part of the first Marine unit to establish a major presence in Afghanistan weeks after the attacks of 9/11. 18 months later, he was part fo the MarIne’s march to Baghdad during the Coalition invasion of Iraq. But it would be the next 4 deployments that would change the lives of Jeff and the Marines he lead in Anbar Province, Iraq. During that time, this area was the most dangerous place in the world. It was a place where ideologically driven terrorists, insurgents, tribal leaders, and criminal gangs waged a violent campaign against the service members posted there. It literally became the focal point of a global movement of young men who wanted to fight Americans. This experience would reach peak intensity as Jeff’s battalion was sent to Fallujah where they served as one of the maneuver battalion charged with clearing the city. Jeff and his Marines were at the tip of the spear of the most violent urban combat experienced by the Marine Corps since the Battle of Hue. Falujah was also the bloodiest battle of America’s war in Iraq. I won’t say anymore about it. Jeff is going to tell his story today. The Beaten Zone is a storytelling project that shares the raw, personal truths of war from ordinary people who served, lived, and worked in conflict zones. Our goal is to thoughtfully document their experiences and contribute to a more complete understanding of war. Our guests will also talk about how they carry those experiences today. We don't glamorize war or those who experience it. We only seek a deeper understanding of war so future generations will approach it with seriousness. 🎧 What to Expect: • Unscripted, unfiltered stories of service and survival • Guests from around the world, military and civilian • No spin. No propaganda. Just lived experience. • A project grounded in honesty, clarity, and respect 🐾 100% for a Cause All proceeds from The Beaten Zone go directly to Operation Freedom Paws, a nonprofit that pairs veterans with service dogs — saving lives on both ends of the leash.

    2h 2m
  7. Episode 9 -- MAJ (ret) Don Vandergriff, US Army, USMC, Warrior Reformer

    11/17/2025

    Episode 9 -- MAJ (ret) Don Vandergriff, US Army, USMC, Warrior Reformer

    Don Vandergriff enlisted in the US Marine Corps and worked his way to becoming an Officer in the US Army. Like his rise in the ranks, Don's chose a different path than most. While on active duty, he pointed out big problems with the Army's personnel and training system. He argued the system was not producing adaptive combat leaders, something that ruffled a lot of feathers in the Army's byzantine bureaucracy and his bosses. After not getting promoted, something I believe was the result of his penchant for going agains the grain, he dedicated the rest of his professional life to the cause of reform. Don is an award winning author and respected for his work. But in spite of his work, the Army never brought him on board to implement his ideas. During this episode, Don talks about his career, fight for reform, and has a few recommendations for Secretary of War Hegseth.

    1h 31m

  8. 11/13/2025

    Episode 8 -- Charles Clevenger, From the Battlefield to Real Estate

    Today we shift gears.  This episode is our first in a series focused on helping service members and Veterans transition to new roles in civilian life.   Charles Clevenger built a highly successful career as a US Army medic. With multiple tours of combat under his belt,  he retired as a Master Sergeant and had one of the best transitions to civilian life I’ve seen.  Charles offers great advice on reinventing yourself, networking, approaching job interviews, and working through the most fundamental question we al must answer:  What do I want to do?   What Charles shares with us today is less about navigating transition and more about enacting transformation.  There’s a huge difference and I think you will benefit from the lessons he shares today, whether you are transitioning from the military or a Veteran who wants to try something new.

    1h 18m
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Beaten Zone is a storytelling project that shares the raw, personal truths of war from ordinary people who served, lived, and worked in conflict zones. Our goal is to thoughtfully document their experiences and contribute to a more complete understanding of war. Our guests will also talk about how they carry those experiences today. We don't glamorize war or those who experience it. We only seek a deeper understanding of war so future generations will approach it with seriousness. 🎧 What to Expect: • Unscripted, unfiltered stories of service and survival • Guests from around the world, military and civilian • No spin. No propaganda. Just lived experience. • A project grounded in honesty, clarity, and respect 🐾 100% for a Cause All proceeds from The Beaten Zone go directly to Operation Freedom Paws, a nonprofit that pairs veterans with service dogs — saving lives on both ends of the leash. Learn more about OFP here https://operationfreedompaws.org/

Information

  • Creator
    John Mark Wilson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 John Mark Wilson
  • Show Website
    The Beaten Zone