Urban Valor: the podcast

What is it REALLY like being married to a Navy SEAL? For former U.S. Navy sailor Ashley Rogers, life as a Navy SEAL wife was nothing like she imagined.

Urban Valor chats with Ashley as she reveals the hidden struggles of Navy SEAL marriages, the loneliness of military deployments, raising children while her husband was away, and the devastating discovery of infidelity that ultimately destroyed their marriage.

But Ashley's story began long before she became a Navy SEAL spouse.

Growing up surrounded by domestic violence, parental addiction, and instability, Ashley experienced things no child should ever have to witness. At just four years old, she watched her father hold a gun to her mother's head. Years later, she watched detectives raid her home and arrest her mother for selling drugs.

Desperate to escape the chaos, Ashley joined the United States Navy in 2013.

What followed was a journey through Navy boot camp, aircraft carrier deployments, life aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, USS George Washington, and USS Theodore Roosevelt, and eventually marriage to a Navy SEAL.

Ashley opens up about the realities of being a female sailor in a male-dominated environment, supporting her husband through Navy SEAL BUD/S training, the pressures of military marriage, and the sacrifices required of special operations families.

While raising two young children and building a career of her own, Ashley says her marriage slowly became emotionally disconnected. She later discovered an affair, learned of alleged additional infidelity, and found what she describes as forged separation documents.

The aftermath brought even more challenges, including legal disputes, harassment allegations, and the difficult process of rebuilding her life as a single mother.

Through it all, Ashley shares a powerful perspective on self-worth, accountability, resilience, and learning when it's time to walk away.

This is more than a story about Navy SEAL divorce or military relationships.

It's a firsthand account of a woman who grew up fighting to survive, built a life through military service, and ultimately found the strength to rebuild that life on her own terms.

If you enjoy authentic military interviews, Navy veteran stories, female veteran experiences, military family stories, and honest conversations about life beyond the uniform, subscribe for more.

And if you or someone you love has experienced the challenges of military marriage, we'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.

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🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

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Chapters: 
00:00 Growing Up Around Violence, Addiction, and Chaos
01:18 Meet Navy Veteran Ashley Rogers
01:38 Childhood Trauma and Domestic Abuse
03:43 The Day Her Father Threatened Her Mother
04:49 Escaping Texas and Returning to Vermont
06:20 Growing Up With an Absent Father
08:45 Her Mother's Behavior Takes a Dark Turn
11:42 Detectives Raid Her Home and Arrest Her Mother
14:44 Discovering Her Mother Was Selling Drugs
16:03 Living With Her Grandparents
18:21 How Dating a Future Navy SEAL Changed Her Path
19:56 Joining the United States Navy
23:03 What Navy Boot Camp Was Really Like
24:55 Living in an All-Female Navy Compartment
28:25 Navy Training and Orders to San Diego
29:34 Working on U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers
32:51 The Challenges of Being a Woman in the Military
36:30 Supporting Her Boyfriend Through Navy SEAL Training
38:01 Why They Rushed Into Marriage
40:21 The Lonely Reality of Being a Navy SEAL Wife
43:11 Raising a Family During Military Deployments
44:26 Deploying to South America
49:15 Becoming a Mother While Her Husband Deployed
51:24 Choosing Between Navy Service and Family
52:47 COVID-19 Extends Her Husband's Deployment
54:13 Moving to Virginia and Marriage Problems
56:51 Growing Suspicious of Infidelity
58:47 The Conversation That Changed Their Marriage
1:00:13 Confronting Her Husband About Another Woman
1:01:24 Discovering the Affair at a Navy SEAL Gala
1:03:21 The Alleged Fake Separation Documents
1:04:15 Divorce and the Chaotic Aftermath
1:06:19 Legal Disputes and Family Conflict
1:07:23 The Allegation of 20 Other Women
1:11:00 Rebuilding Life as a Single Mother
1:14:07 Choosing Healthy Co-Parenting
1:16:12 Finding Self-Worth After Divorce

#NavySEAL #NavyVeteran #MilitaryStories

A U.S. Air Force officer comes face-to-face with armed Taliban fighters on a remote road in Afghanistan... and watches in disbelief as the senior officer beside him unlocks their armored vehicle and opens the door.

What happens next is one of the wildest Afghanistan war stories we've heard.

In today's Urban Valor Podcast, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel John Spargur shares his firsthand experiences surviving Taliban attacks, suicide bombings, and a terrifying attempted abduction while deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2013.

From working in underground nuclear missile launch control centers to protecting satellites and the International Space Station, John's Air Force career was anything but ordinary. But nothing could have prepared him for the realities of the Afghanistan War.

Assigned to NATO headquarters in Kabul, John unexpectedly found himself responsible for coordinating military base closures across Afghanistan, working with Afghan government officials, senior military leadership, and the CIA.

And unlike many officers working at headquarters, John regularly traveled outside the wire through Taliban-threatened streets.

During his deployment, John witnessed the horrifying aftermath of a suicide bombing, survived a grenade thrown in front of his vehicle, experienced attacks on Kabul's heavily fortified Green Zone, and came dangerously close to being pulled into Taliban captivity.

But his biggest battle didn't end when he left Afghanistan.

John opens up about the devastating personal struggles he faced before his deployment, the promise he made to his young son that he'd return home, and the years of PTSD symptoms, nightmares, and hypervigilance that followed his military service.

He also shares how seeking help, writing about his experiences, and connecting with fellow veterans helped him begin to heal.

This isn't just a story about combat, survival, and the War in Afghanistan.

It's about fatherhood, leadership, loss, resilience, and what happens when the war follows you home.

John is also the author of *Kabul Kill Zone: An Air Force Officer's Account of Leadership, Loss, and Survival*, where he shares more about his experiences.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters: 
00:00 Taliban Attacks and a Terrifying Ambush
01:19 John Spargur's Childhood and Family
06:49 A Family History of Military Service
09:03 Joining Air Force ROTC
14:56 Becoming an Air Force Officer
17:35 Training for Nuclear Missile Operations
23:20 Witnessing the September 11 Attacks
25:50 Life Inside a Nuclear Missile Squadron
32:48 Inside NORAD and Cheyenne Mountain
34:59 Protecting the International Space Station
43:17 A Devastating Family Crisis
49:27 His Son's Life-Threatening Medical Emergency
53:27 Divorce, a Serious Car Accident, and New Orders
55:55 Preparing for Deployment to Afghanistan
58:41 Arriving in Kabul, Afghanistan
1:01:41 The Mission to Close 400 Military Bases
1:10:02 Unexpected Promotion and a Suicide Bombing
1:13:06 Witnessing the Aftermath of a Taliban Attack
1:20:06 The Constant Danger of Kabul's Streets
1:24:52 A Grenade Thrown at His Vehicle
1:27:32 Taliban Attack a Base After Its Handover
1:31:44 A Dangerous Mission After Multiple Attacks
1:34:28 Face-to-Face With Armed Taliban Fighters
1:39:47 The Door Opens: Fighting for Survival
1:43:02 The Desperate Escape
1:45:48 Ordered Back Into Danger
1:51:03 Working With the CIA in Afghanistan
1:58:26 The $39 Million Military Base Controversy
2:06:31 Taliban Attack Kabul's Green Zone
2:10:35 September 11: Gunfire Erupts Across Kabul
2:13:45 Leaving Afghanistan and Returning to His Son
2:16:43 Forced Out of the Air Force
2:22:00 Retirement and the Emotional Toll of War
2:23:21 PTSD, Nightmares, and Hypervigilance
2:25:35 Finding Healing Through Therapy and Writing
2:27:56 His Book and Family Today
2:30:11 Why Preserving Veterans' Stories Matters

#AfghanistanWar #AirForceVeteran #urbanvalor

In this Urban Valor Podcast, former Army Sergeant First Class Vincent Morales shares his unbelievable journey from growing up around gang violence in Kansas City, Missouri, to fighting through some of the most dangerous experiences of the Iraq War, including the Battle of Mosul, the 2004 Mosul dining facility bombing, and devastating roadside IED explosions.

Vincent opens up about losing fellow soldiers, surviving repeated combat blasts, struggling with severe physical and mental injuries, and the challenges of transitioning from military service to civilian life.

After multiple deployments, his life spiraled into substance abuse, broken relationships, and a suicide attempt that nearly killed him.

But that's not where his story ends.

And THAT is what makes this interview so damn powerful.

Vincent doesn't sugarcoat what combat did to him.

He talks about the violence, the guilt, the anger, and the moments that still haunt him decades later.

One of the most heartbreaking experiences came when an IED struck a vehicle carrying some of his closest brothers. Vincent rushed toward the burning wreckage, helped pull his friend from the vehicle, and stayed beside him as they fought to save his life.

He also shares the devastating aftermath of the December 2004 Mosul chow hall bombing, the reality of repeated roadside bombs, and what happens when soldiers are forced to bury their emotions just to survive the next mission.

And then there's the battle nobody prepared him for.

Coming home.

For Vincent, leaving the battlefield didn't mean leaving the war behind. Years of combat, traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, sleep deprivation, and unresolved grief followed him into everyday life.

His marriage collapsed. His addiction worsened. And in May 2013, he attempted to take his own life.

He survived.

What happened next completely changed the direction of his life.

Through recovery, fatherhood, community, and serving other veterans, Vincent began rediscovering his purpose.

He eventually helped co-found Veterans Community Project, an organization dedicated to supporting veterans facing homelessness and housing instability through tiny-home communities and individualized support services.

**Learn more about Veterans Community Project:**
https://www.veteranscommunityproject.org/

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters: 
00:00 Intense Combat Stories & The Battle After War
01:22 Meet Army Veteran Vincent Morales
03:00 Growing Up in a Military Family
07:08 Running Away from an Abusive Home
09:01 Gang Violence in Kansas City
14:37 Arrests, a Police Chase & a Turning Point
19:03 Becoming a Father at 17
21:49 How 9/11 Changed Everything
24:05 Joining the Army with His Brother
25:21 Army Combat Engineer Basic Training
37:47 First Assignment at Fort Lewis
38:55 The Mentor Who Prepared Him for War
49:54 First Iraq Deployment & Stryker Patrols
52:51 The Reality of Combat Sets In
55:10 First Ambush in Iraq
59:48 The Battle of Mosul
1:04:12 The Deadly 2004 Mosul Chow Hall Bombing
1:08:01 Fighting Through Tal Afar
1:11:50 The IED Attack That Killed His Brothers
1:19:11 The Heartbreaking Military Memorial
1:26:34 Another IED Blast & Saving Martinez
1:38:43 Honoring a Fallen Brother's Family
1:46:31 Preparing for a Second Iraq Deployment
1:57:03 How Route Clearance Changed
2:02:08 Clearing an Al-Qaeda Compound
2:12:52 Recognizing the Man Combat Had Created
2:15:49 The Moment Prince's Purple Rain Broke Him
2:21:06 Combat Operations in Sadr City
2:27:36 A Deadly Mission & Extreme Heat Casualties
2:32:57 Physical Injuries and the Cost of War
2:37:02 Coming Home and Losing Everything
2:47:20 Addiction, Anger & Personal Collapse
2:50:15 Volunteering for a Third Deployment
2:51:51 Afghanistan and Training Afghan Soldiers
3:03:47 Coming Home to a Broken Life
3:06:12 Surviving a Suicide Attempt
3:09:37 Learning to Walk and Live Again
3:10:10 Finding Purpose Helping Veterans
3:13:20 Founding Veterans Community Project
3:16:44 Housing the First 13 Veterans
3:17:47 How Veteran Tiny Home Communities Work
3:20:38 Building Veteran Support Services
3:25:11 Expanding Veteran Housing Across America
3:30:53 Learning to Control His Anger
3:34:34 The Lasting Effects of Brain Injuries
3:36:22 Getting Help and Beginning to Heal
3:38:05 Exploring New Paths to Recovery
3:41:38 What Is an Army Sapper?
3:42:40 Vincent's Final Message of Hope

#IraqWar #VeteranStories #CombatPTSD

At just 18 years old, US Marine Corps veteran Manny De Anda witnessed the unimaginable during his deployment to Fallujah, Iraq. After a devastating explosion involving a 7-ton military truck carrying female Marines, Manny and his fellow Marines were among the first to arrive on scene. What he witnessed during that Iraq War deployment would stay with him for the rest of his life.

In this episode of the Urban Valor Podcast, Manny shares his firsthand experiences serving as an 0311 infantry Marine during two deployments to Iraq, surviving the dangers of IED attacks, losing fellow Marines in combat, and struggling with the lasting psychological effects of war.

But Manny's story goes FAR beyond the battlefield...

Growing up in Orange County, California, as the son of Mexican immigrants, Manny wanted to make something of himself and give back to the country that gave his family opportunity.

So, at just 17 years old, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

And he had absolutely no idea what he was walking into.

From the chaos of Marine Corps boot camp to the brutal realities of combat in Iraq, Manny takes us through the experiences that shaped him, the Marines who changed his life, and the brothers he would never see again.

One of the most difficult moments came when Manny responded to the aftermath of an explosion involving female Marines.

He was only 18.

He describes the destruction, the recovery of fallen service members, and the memories that still follow him today.

And then there was December 21st.

Just days before Christmas, another devastating IED attack killed Marines he'd served alongside since arriving at his unit.

Imagine surviving one deployment, returning for another, and watching the people you trained with and cared about disappear one by one.

It's hard to comprehend what that does to someone.

But here's what makes Manny's story even more remarkable...

When he returned home and eventually left the Marine Corps, his journey was FAR from over.

He went to college, became a police officer, and encountered an entirely different kind of trauma while responding to emergencies, violence, and death in his own community.

Eventually, he made the difficult decision to leave law enforcement.

And then, in one of the most unexpected turns of his life, he moved to China to teach English.

Yep. From combat in Iraq to teaching kindergarten in China.

Quite the career change, huh?

But it was there that Manny discovered something he'd been searching for since leaving the military.

Purpose.

Today, Manny works in higher education, helping veterans, adult learners, and students navigate their own paths forward.

And through it all, the memory of the Marines he lost has never left him.

Manny's willingness to share these experiences is a powerful reminder that the sacrifices of military service don't necessarily end when someone takes off the uniform.

To Manny, thank you for trusting us with your story, brother. And thank you for your service.

To everyone watching, if this story resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

And if you're a veteran, reach out to a brother or sister you haven't spoken to in a while.

That simple conversation might mean more than you realize.

👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.

🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!

✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!

Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.

Chapters: 
00:00 Marine Recalls the Horrors of Iraq
01:33 Growing Up in Orange County
10:06 Troubled Childhood and Finding Discipline
14:55 Why Manny Joined the Marine Corps
19:47 Marine Corps Boot Camp Stories
27:34 Preparing for War and Joining the Infantry
31:14 First Deployment to Fallujah, Iraq
33:50 Losing a Close Friend in Afghanistan
36:55 Responding to the Deadly Attack on Female Marines
41:38 The Emotional Aftermath of Combat
44:56 Preparing for a Second Iraq Deployment
49:32 Second Deployment Near the Syrian Border
53:05 Devastating IED Attack Before Christmas
55:57 Losing More Marines and Deployment Extension
1:00:02 Turning Down $40,000 for Another Deployment
1:01:26 Leaving the Marine Corps
1:03:10 Struggling to Adjust to College
1:08:49 From College Student to Police Recruit
1:13:55 The Reality of Working as a Police Officer
1:18:55 Leaving Law Enforcement Behind
1:21:30 Moving to China to Teach English
1:24:41 Finding Purpose Through Education
1:26:19 Losing a Fellow Marine to Addiction
1:29:33 The Importance of Checking on Veterans

#MarineCorps #IraqWar #CombatVeteran

In today's Irban Valor Podcast, Octavio talks about combat in Iraq, repeated IED attacks, losing Marines in his unit, being engulfed in flames, the medevac and ICU experience, learning to walk again, adapting to life with severe burns and a hand amputation, and the impact his injuries had on his wife and children.

Octavio also opens up about what happened after the uniform came off...struggling with alcohol and drugs, losing his sense of purpose, rebuilding his family life, returning to his faith, and eventually finding a new mission helping other veterans.

Today, Octavio serves with Front Sight Military Outreach, where he helps veterans reconnect with faith, community, brotherhood, and purpose after military service.

Chapters: 
00:00 Marine Survives a Massive IED Attack
01:27 Growing Up in Fontana, California
03:03 Family Roots in Zacatecas, Mexico
04:25 Getting Pulled Into Gang Life
07:39 Expelled From High School
08:01 Getting Jumped Into a Gang
11:37 Sent to Mexico
13:57 Turning His Life Around
16:02 Dreaming About the Military
17:16 Meeting a Marine Corps Recruiter
19:44 Leaving for Marine Corps Boot Camp
24:14 Earning the Title Marine
26:00 Joining 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines
29:12 First Deployment to Okinawa
32:42 Training With Force Recon
33:34 Massive Fight Between Marines
37:24 Zodiac Training Off Australia
40:09 The Lesson He Never Forgot
44:32 Becoming a Marine Corps NCO
46:28 September 11th in Okinawa
49:02 Reenlisting in the Marines
50:25 Becoming a Marksmanship Instructor
55:21 Watching His Marines Go to War
58:08 Joining 1st Battalion, 5th Marines
1:01:46 Preparing for Iraq
1:03:56 Deploying to Ramadi, Iraq
1:07:54 IED Capital of Iraq
1:09:26 Running Quick Reaction Force Missions
1:12:18 The Reality of Combat
1:13:34 His First IED Explosion
1:17:34 Losing Marines in Ramadi
1:18:27 Looking for a Fight
1:20:20 Hunting for IEDs
1:23:54 June 16, 2005
1:25:20 The Mission That Changed Everything
1:28:44 The Roadside Bomb Explodes
1:29:09 Humvee Launched 40 Feet
1:30:39 Trapped Inside a Burning Vehicle
1:31:35 Escaping While on Fire
1:34:34 Medevac Under Fire
1:38:00 Fighting for His Life
1:39:57 Hallucinations in the ICU
1:45:24 Beginning the Recovery
1:46:50 Seeing His Daughter Again
1:48:49 Learning His Marines Had Died
1:50:22 Life Inside the Burn Center
1:53:52 How His Children Reacted
1:56:19 Becoming an Outpatient
1:58:29 Medical Retirement From the Marines
1:58:56 His Wife Never Left His Side
2:00:47 Life After the Marine Corps
2:02:18 Alcohol, Cocaine & Losing Direction
2:02:59 Finding Faith and Purpose
2:04:27 Finding His Veteran Brotherhood Again
2:06:17 The Struggle of Leaving the Military
2:07:42 Front Sight Military Outreach
2:09:13 Final Thoughts