Mike Green spent years in Army Special Forces, government service, overseas contracting, and training environments where getting blown up, banged around, injured, and simply pushing through was often treated as part of the job. Years later, some of those experiences started catching up. In this episode of the Veteran Wellness Podcast, Erik Lawrence reconnects with longtime friend and fellow Special Forces veteran Mike Green for a conversation about military service, contracting, blast exposure, TBI, alcohol, injuries, recovery, fitness, family, and what happens when the body and mind finally start keeping score. Mike's Special Forces career included service as an 18C Special Forces Engineer Sergeant and time with 7th Special Forces Group. He later spent approximately seven years contracting, worked in government service, and eventually built Green Ops, which provides firearms training and has worked with civilian, military, government, and law-enforcement students. Mike recalls repeated exposure to explosives and overpressure, including his time as a breacher. He also describes teaching vehicle-ramming techniques where he could be involved in dozens of impacts during a single training day. At the time, much of it seemed normal. Years later, he began looking differently at the accumulated effects of those experiences. Mike also talks candidly about life after leaving the military and moving into overseas contracting. The brotherhood and operational tempo continued overseas, but returning home was different. Drinking became a form of self-medication, his health suffered, and he eventually realized he needed to rebuild structure in his life. One of the things that helped was taking the schedule he'd lived by on a military team and creating one for himself. Guest Bio Mike Green is a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, former 18C Special Forces Engineer Sergeant, instructor, government professional, and founder of Green Ops. His career has included service with 7th Special Forces Group, antiterrorism instruction, overseas contracting, government work, and firearms training. Today, Green Ops provides open-enrollment firearms training while also having supported government, military, and law-enforcement clients. 🌐 Green Ops green-ops.com Mentioned in This Episode Fire Support Fire Support on Amazon VSSBooks VSSBooks.com VSS Defense & Security VSS Defense & Security Connect with Erik LawrenceErik Lawrence VSS on Facebook 📚 VSSBooks 📧 support@vig-sec.com DisclaimerThis episode includes personal experiences and discussion of TBI, mental health, alcohol use, fasting, nutrition, and other wellness practices. The conversation is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding your own health and medical decisions. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988. #VeteranWellnessPodcast #SpecialForces #GreenBeret #Veterans #TBI #VeteranHealth #VeteranWellness #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories #GreenOps #ErikLawrenceVSS
