Will Atkinson was born in to a Virginia family with a tradition of military service on both sides, to parents who would divorce around the time he was four. In middle school/junior high, Will would move to Wisconsin with his mom and younger fraternal twin brother and sister. After graduating from high school in a town called Manitowoc, Will went on the enlist in the US Army, serving for four years and ten months as a combat medic, which included two deployments to Iraq. Upon his release from active duty, Will affiliated with the Wisconsin National Guard, serving for another three years while attending the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Will earned a BS in Biology there, and has also earned a Masters of Public Health from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Will has been a volunteer firefighter since the fall of 2019, and has also volunteered for multiple Veteran Service Organizations and Emergency Medical Services. Will currently works as a Peer Support Specialist at the Madison VA Medical Center. http://maniacretreats.org/ National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

Josh Snyder Bio:Farm kid from Iowa. Served 4 years in USMC as a Motor T Operator. Afghanistan (OEF) in 2011.Starting coaching and obtained my CrossFit certificate in 2013Moved to KC in 2014. Co-owned and operated The Hill KC for 8 years (Formally CrossFit Memorial Hill) Married highschool sweetheart in 2020 and have 2 beautiful little girls (Adeline 3, Ivy 17 months) Founded Bloc Life Inc (501c3 nonprofit organization) in 2018 to serve the veteran, first responder and disabled community. I currently serve as its executive director. Built FITNKC, home of Northtowne CrossFit, and doors opened March 2024. www.bloclife.org National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #Neveralonealwaysforward

Billy spent almost 20 years in the fire service before retiring this year due to PTSD. We talk about what led up to his retirement and the plans he has going forward. National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

Joe comes back on the show to tell us how he has been and how a near fatal motorcycle wreck has changed his life. National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

Justin is the Executive Director of The Battle Within and an Army Combat Veteran. National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

Montee served 6 years in the United States Army in communications setting up temporary cell sites allowing people on the battle ground to communicate.currently work for AT&T as a Program Manager - some of his duties include ensuring that large events like the Superbowl, RNC/DNC conventions, Sports All Star games, etc... have enough wireless/wireline coverage and capacity to accommodate the surge of AT&T customers in one location.Since 2011 he has been a part of the 501c3 AT&T Veterans Employee Resource Group. He recently Jan 1st stepped down as National Chief Operating Officer (Vice President) the group has over 7000 members in 32 different chapters across the country. January 1st along with his business partner William Huehl founded a new not for profit 501c3 company Get To Zer0 (mission statement below) The main purpose of Get To Zer0 is to stop Veteran suicide. Some numbers indicate 22 or more Veterans a day take their own life. The top number doesn't matter we want to Get To Zer0 with that number. www.GetToZer0.com Mission Statement for Get To Zer0: At Get To Zer0, our mission is to eliminate Veteran suicide and create a world where every Veteran can find hope, healing, and support. We believe that no service member who has selflessly dedicated themselves to safeguarding our nation's freedom should ever feel abandoned, alone, or without options. With unwavering commitment, compassion, and innovative approaches, we are determined to address the underlying causes and provide meaningful solutions to end this tragic crisis. National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

Travis Gribble is a retired law enforcement officer from the Mesa, AZ PD. He has been a guest speaker at several law enforcement conference's with presentations regarding PTSD in law enforcement and also posting video's to his instagram to raise awareness about PTSD in first responders.  @My_.Arena Instagram  thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #neveralonealwaysforward

John Howe is a retired police officer from Missouri. He is also a photographer and is starting Healing Trails Overland, where he will travel all of North America and document his travels. Along the way he is going to tell the stories of other first responders' mental health journeys, as well as veterans. www.howecreativephoto.com www.Healingtrailsoverland.com @HealingTrailsOverland  National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

My name is Ronnie Dennison. I’m a husband and a Dad/step Dad to 5 kids, and PaPa to 1.For the past 22 years I’ve been a volunteer firefighter with the Adrian Fire Dept. We are a small city/Rural dept. that averages 400+ calls a year over 270 square miles. I’m Fire 1&2 certified, Hazmat technician level, and hold many other small certifications from MUFRTI. I also help teach an elevator rescue class with O’Byrne Fireground Training. National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

www.atc911.org National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

Brian is a retired firefighter and veteran. He shares his journey of recovery on the podcast. He is writing his autobiography and starting his own podcast. This is one you dont want to miss. National Suicide Prevention Hotline 988 thewashdownpodcast@gmail.com #NeverAloneAlwaysForward

we start filming today!!