Urban Valor: the podcast Urban Valor

Join us for an in-depth interview with Jake Edwards, a former Marine Corps Sergeant, as he recounts his gripping and emotional experiences during his service from 2003 to 2009. Growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia, Jake's life took a dramatic turn when he joined the Marines, seeking purpose and direction.In this video, Jake shares harrowing stories from the battlefield, including close encounters with enemy fire, the loss of comrades like Mike Hanks, and the intense brotherhood formed in t...

Mike Hanks and his sister Melissa grew up on a Michigan farm. Driven by patriotism, Mike enlisted in the United States Marines after high school. As Mike shipped off to serve, Melissa became his go to person, his trusted ear about things he needed to get off his chest – a terrorist attack in Kuwait, the invasion of Iraq, and impending battle that would ultimately claim his life in Fallujah on November 17, 2004.In this Urban Valor episode, Gold Star sister Melissa honors her brother, Lance Cor...

U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Henry Garcia spent over twenty years in the military, serving as a Motor Transportation Gunnery Sergeant from 1991 to 2013.In this episode of Urban Valor, Garcia doesn't hold back, describing his savagery as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor. Born in Tampa but moving frequently as an Air Force kid before settling in Sacramento, Garcia's Marine Corps career began after a fight with his father turned dangerous. Together with his three friends, he enlisted in the Uni...

In this powerful video, former U.S. Marine Austin Hancock shares a chilling tale from his boot camp, experiences with drill instructors, and much more. As an Anti-Tank Assaultman who served from 2006 to 2010, Austin witnessed a shocking moment when a recruit attempted to take his own life by jumping out of a third-story window. What followed was a reaction from a Drill Instructor that left Austin stunned.Austin's story delves into the intense and often brutal reality of Marine Corps boot camp...

In the line of duty and at home, Staff Sergeant Devin Teeter's resilience has been put to the test time and again. Born and raised in Colorado, his passion for service was ignited by the iconic film "Top Gun." Enlisting as an Imagery Analysis Specialist, Devin's role was to gather intelligence and assist troops with accurate target acquisition, ensuring successful reconnaissance missions.While the rewards of his job were immense, saving countless lives through precise intel, the psychological...

This week’s Urban Valor episode features Navy SEAL veteran, Mike O’Dowd. Mike was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He was inspired to be a Navy SEAL after watching a documentary on the Discovery channel about them. When the 9/11 attack occurred, Mike felt an even greater calling to go fight for America and enlisted into the Navy to become a Navy SEAL. In this episode, he talks about his combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan assigned to SEAL Team 7, doing covert operations to...