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In October 2009, Corporal Andy Reid MBE was blown up by a Taliban improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Injured so badly that it was thought he would not survive, he defied the odds to the extent that, within a month, he was able to meet up with members of his patrol again. What he has achieved since then is little short of unbelievable.

The winner of The Sun's Millie award in 2010, and awarded an MBE in 2019, Andy has continuously supported veterans and people with disabilities. This year he will walk the London Marathon to raise money for The Army Benevolent Fund, who Andy credits with giving him great support in his own time of need. 

You can support it here: https://events.armybenevolentfund.org/fundraisers/andyreidmbe/londonmarathon2026

And you can find Andy on Instagram @andyreid2506

His website is: https://www.standingtall.co.uk/

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please email us at [email protected], or follow us on social media: @veteranstateofmind

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Mike Harrage is a former British Army soldier who began his military career as a Radio Operator in the Royal Signals. Early on, he realised he wanted to push himself further and volunteered for the Airborne Forces straight out of training. After successfully completing P Company and his parachute training, he earned the coveted Maroon Beret and Parachute Wings.

Mike deployed on two operational tours of Afghanistan, experiencing combat on both. His first tour as a Company Signaller attached The Royal Irish Regiment, operating from a patrol base in Nade Ali, Helmand Province.

He later deployed on a second tour as an attachment to a Special Operations advisory team. Made up of International Special Forces SNCO’s and Officers they were tasked with advising the Crisis Response Unit, a Special Forces Squadron in an elite Regiment of Afghan National Police operating in Kabul. 

Known for his sense of humour, Mike tells his story with an emphasis on the laughter and banter that helped soldiers endure some of their darkest moments. Always a smile on his face.

Today, Mike works professionally in telecommunications and is also an emerging DJ. He has written a number of poems reflecting on the soldier’s experience in Afghanistan, aiming to give a voice to those who did not return. In the near future, he plans to launch a platform to share these works more widely.

Instagram: @blactionman

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please email us at [email protected], or follow us on social media: @veteranstateofmind

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Trey Morriss is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with thirty-one years of service, serving and supporting the legendary Eighth Air Force. His love of aviation runs deep―shaped by stories of his grandfather and uncle, who flew combat missions over Europe in World War II. Early in his career, Morriss took part in a top-secret, record-setting strike that opened Operation Desert Storm―the longest combat mission of its time and a turning point in modern warfare. He later flew 32 combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan following 9/11.  He’s a decorated veteran and sought-after keynote speaker. He lives in Louisiana with his wife, and they cherish time with their five adult children and three grandchildren.

Instagram: @treymorriss

Colonel Morriss's book, Doom 34: https://www.amazon.com/DOOM-34-Firsthand-Top-Secret-Operation/dp/1493093614

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please email us at [email protected], or follow us on social media: @veteranstateofmind

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TIM SAUNDERS served as an infantry officer with the British Army for thirty years, during which time he took the opportunity to visit campaigns far and wide, from ancient to modern. Since leaving the Army he has become a full time military historian and has made nearly fifty full documentary films with Battlefield History and Pen & Sword. He is an active guide and accredited member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides.

Tim's books are available here: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tim-Saunders/a/227

If you served on Op Telic 9 or 10, and would be interested in being interviewed for an oral history project, please drop Geraint a line at [email protected], or @veteranstateofmind on Instagram

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Steve Black served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. You can find his book in the links below, as well as details on The Muster Point - a veterans support and community project in Hertfordshire.

Stephen's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-another-squaddies-story-tour/dp/B0GHH4713N

The Muster Point: https://themusterpoint.org.uk/

Tickets to Geraint's event at Aces High Gallery are available here: https://www.aces-high.com/events/view/voices-of-victory-the-battle-for-germany-1945-with-geraint-jones-sunday-8th-feb

If you served on Op Telic 9 or 10, and would be interested in being interviewed for an oral history project, please drop Geraint a line at [email protected], or @veteranstateofmind on Instagram

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TED SHIRLEY is an author and former British Army sniper. He served two tours in Afghanistan, where he achieved remarkable feats, including shots from over a mile away. Despite these accomplishments, Ted faced a challenging battle with post-traumatic stress disorder upon his return home. The juxtaposition of life on the battlefield as a soldier to a small-town civilian brought new challenges as Ted watched many of his brothers taken by PTSD. Determined to heal and retake control of his life, Ted embarked on a global journey. He explored alternative healing methods and therapies, integrating these approaches with his military experiences and clinical therapies to aid in his recovery.

Ted's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Afghanistan-Sniper-Trauma-Front-Beyond/dp/1036147614

Ted's social media: @tedshirleyauthor

To get tickets to Geraint's Voices of Victory event at Aces High: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/102112

Geraint's Substack: https://substack.com/@grjbooks?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Voices of Victory audiobook on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/11UtHCAoD8F0HLxJFe6KT7?si=5d30ecad357e4fa8

D-Day: The Unheard Tapes audiobook on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3bHuWcPkCJUfYvNvqx16Ng?si=115aaa0a44d4418f

Audible links:

https://www.audible.co.uk/author/Geraint-Jones/B06XTKLWBM

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast please contact us at [email protected] , or drop us a DM on instagram @veteranstateofmind

Please help us spread the word by telling your mates about the podcast, or by leaving a review/ rating.

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Alana Stott MBE is a global prevention strategist, intelligence advisor, and founder working at the intersection of exploitation prevention, capital accountability, and systems change. She if the CEO and Founder of Blue Rose Foundation, a prevention-first organisation focussed on identifying and interrupting grooming, abuse, and trafficking before exploitation occurs. Blue Rose works with governments, frontline professionals, platforms, and private-sector partners to shift the global response from crisis management to early detection, education, and accountability.

Blue Rose Foundation: https://bluerose.foundation/

Alana's instagram and X: @alanastott

To get tickets to Geraint's Voices of Victory event at Aces High: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/102112

Geraint's Substack: https://substack.com/@grjbooks?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Voices of Victory audiobook on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/11UtHCAoD8F0HLxJFe6KT7?si=5d30ecad357e4fa8

D-Day: The Unheard Tapes audiobook on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3bHuWcPkCJUfYvNvqx16Ng?si=115aaa0a44d4418f

Audible links:

https://www.audible.co.uk/author/Geraint-Jones/B06XTKLWBM

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast please contact us at [email protected] , or drop us a DM on instagram @veteranstateofmind

Please help us spread the word by telling your mates about the podcast, or by leaving a review/ rating.

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Rick Webb served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the King's Royal Hussars.

You can follow him on Instagram: @rickwebbgolf

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If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast please contact us at [email protected] , or drop us a DM on instagram @veteranstateofmind

Please help us spread the word by telling your mates about the podcast, or by leaving a review/ rating.

Geraint's Substack: https://substack.com/@grjbooks?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Voices of Victory audiobook on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/11UtHCAoD8F0HLxJFe6KT7?si=5d30ecad357e4fa8

D-Day: The Unheard Tapes audiobook on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3bHuWcPkCJUfYvNvqx16Ng?si=115aaa0a44d4418f

Audible links:

https://www.audible.co.uk/author/Geraint-Jones/B06XTKLWBM

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Morgan Lerette served in the US Army before joining Blackwater as a Private Military Contractor. He is the author of Guns, Girls, & Greed, a firsthand perspective on how men act and react in war.

You can get Morgan's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Girls-Greed-Blackwater-Mercenary/dp/B0D5JMPTMY

Connect with him: @blackwaterdude1

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please contact us at [email protected] , or drop us a DM on instagram @veteranstateofmind

Please help us spread the word by telling your mates about the podcast.

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From the age of 12, Scott Ryder knew he wanted to join the army. After serving as a paratrooper and in East Timor with 3 RAR, he wanted more. He trained all summer and took the gruelling selection course for the commandos, earning the prized green beret on his second attempt.

Ryder shares battlefield stories from his tours to Afghanistan, where his regiment saw some of the heaviest fighting Australian forces have experienced since the Vietnam War. After being seriously injured in a shocking Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kandahar, he was the only survivor to return to active service.

You can learn more about Scott's service in his book Forged in Fire, available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forged-Fire-Australian-commandos-frontline-ebook/dp/B0CYZNJRDB

Scott is on instagram: @scott_ryder_zero79

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please contact us at [email protected] , or drop us a DM on instagram @veteranstateofmind

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Dilip Sarkar is the author of over 60 books inspired by the Spitfire and Battle of Britain stories. Dilip is himself a living link to the past, given his privileged relationships with countless wartime survivors. He joins us to to discuss the importance of the Battle of Britain, the impossible odds that Britain faced, the people who made victory possible, and why we must never forget them.

You can learn more about Dilip and find his books, battlefield tours, and much more here: https://www.dilipsarkarmbe.com/

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please contact us at [email protected] , or drop us a DM on instagram @veteranstateofmind

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