David Leasure wanted to look like Stallone in Rocky IV. Then he went on a U.S. Navy deployment, and the bodybuilding routine he’d built no longer fit the hours or resources he had aboard ship. A shipmate introduced him to calisthenics, and training with his own body weight changed how…
After 16 years in the U.S. Army, Jose Cinco medically retired as a Sergeant First Class. He had deployed to Iraq, led soldiers, and helped develop more than 75 noncommissioned officers. What would leadership, service, and camaraderie look like in civilian life? Join The MisFitNation as Jose takes us from…
Laurie Kirk says her gratitude list could take 20 minutes. The dogs in the background are already on it. 🐾 For Day 13 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge, our friend and self-proclaimed “ultimate misfit” shares two reasons she’s excited about what comes next. She’s getting ready to put a book…
Donna and Charlie Simko remember meeting at Fort Campbell a little differently. Charlie remembers coming home from deployment and meeting Donna in the platoon. Donna remembers her 21st birthday and Charlie being the one who got her to the hospital when she needed help. In The MisFitNation’s Veterans Week finale,…
November 12 would have been Rachel’s 22nd birthday. Her dad, Eric Monarca, chose that date to tell us what he’s grateful for. For Day 12 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge, our friend, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Chat 62 host Eric Monarca remembers his daughter Rachel. He’s grateful for the…
The sun was coming up, and Sam Juan still hadn’t slept. In a brief moment of clarity, she could see what drugs and alcohol were helping her avoid. Getting sober would take longer than that morning, and it would mean rebuilding much of the life she’d made after the Army.…
“Your service matters. Your story matters. And you will never be forgotten.” David Willis returns for Day 11 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge with a Veterans Day message for everyone who answered the call to serve. The U.S. Marine Corps infantry veteran and HomeFront SitRep Show host honors the courage…
They met at Fort Campbell as U.S. Army Military Police soldiers. Years later, Charlie was deployed overseas when Donna welcomed their daughter. What did those years look like from each side of the marriage? Donna and Charlie Simko join The MisFitNation for the fifth and final live show of Veterans…
Joseph Randall remembers the balloons, the hugs, and the families waiting on the parade deck when he returned from Operation Desert Storm. He remembers realizing no one was there for him, picking up his bags, and walking back to the barracks. On Night 3 of The MisFitNation Veterans Week 2026,…
“Remember, you’re not alone, and be someone’s stranger today.” For Day 10, Part 2 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge, our brother from another mother, U.S. Marine Corps veteran David Willis, joins us on the Marine Corps birthday. The 0311 infantry veteran and host of the HomeFront SitRep Show starts with…
“Thank you for answering the call.” On November 10, Day 10 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge, our brother, friend, and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Gunnery Sergeant Samuel “Gunny” Deeds delivers a Marine Corps birthday salute to Marines past and present. The HomeFront SitRep Podcast co-host keeps it simple. He thanks…
John Krotec’s therapist told him she couldn’t save his marriage—but she could help him save himself. What followed was the difficult work of facing pain he had kept hidden for decades. In this episode of The MisFitNation Show, U.S. Army Veteran, entrepreneur, author, and poet John Krotec shares how a…
What happens when the instincts that helped you survive in war make it harder to live in peace? On Veterans Day, The MisFitNation welcomes U.S. Army veteran, writer, and artist Samantha “Sam” Juan for Night 4 of Veterans Week. Sam served 10 years in the Army, including as a signals…
Dr. Tony Dice can trace his appetite for adrenaline back to riding his bike as fast as he could and swinging from ropes in the trees. Long before he became a Navy SEAL, he knew the feeling he was after. On Night Two of The MisFitNation Veterans Week 2026, he…
For Susan Combs, gratitude shows up in the way we serve others. On Day 9 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge, our friend Susan gives thanks for her family, her health, her friendships, and the veterans who trusted her with their stories and welcomed her into their communities. Susan shares what…
Frances Figueroa-Lowe signed up for the Army after a chance encounter with a recruiter in Queens. Years later, after being wounded in a mortar attack in Iraq, she signed up for something else she never expected to lead: her local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. In…
🇺🇸🔥 ITTTTT'S TIIIIIME! VETERANS WEEK IS HERE! 5 NIGHTS. 5 LIVE SHOWS. 6 VETERANS. ONE MISFITNATION! November 8–12, we're going LIVE every night at 7 PM Central for five incredible conversations celebrating Veterans, military families, leadership, resilience, adversity, and purpose! This isn't just another week of interviews. It's five nights…
🔥 THE MISFITNATION JUST HIT #7 AMONG GLOBAL VETERAN PODCASTS! What a week! Three outstanding guests, conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, creativity, and purpose—and a milestone worth celebrating! 🌎 THE BIG NEWS! The MisFitNation came in at #7 among Global Veteran Podcasts on Sponsor Scout! This recognition belongs to every guest…
How much good is already happening around you while you’re rushing through the day? For Day 8 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge, our friend and U.S. Army veteran Rebecca Tutela joins us from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, to share what she notices when she slows down. She’s grateful for Mike, her partner,…
What do you carry with you when you leave the Marine Corps? For Desert Storm veteran Joseph D. Randall II, that question followed him into culinary school, restaurant kitchens, and more than three decades in hospitality. On the Marine Corps Birthday, join The MisFitNation and The ToosDay Crüe for night…
What happens when the rush you relied on in uniform starts running your life back home? On Night 2 of The MisFitNation Veterans Week 2026, U.S. Navy SEAL veteran Dr. Tony Dice joins Rich LaMonica to talk about chasing intensity after Afghanistan, confronting addiction, and rebuilding his identity in recovery.…
“Be grateful for the life behind you, be present for the life around you, and make the life still in front of you mean something.” Day 7 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge features our brother and U.S. Army veteran Aaron Hudgins sharing how gratitude has changed after 26 years of…
What does service look like after coming home wounded from war? The MisFitNation kicks off Veterans Week 2026 with U.S. Army Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and Military Order of the Purple Heart National Commander Frances Figueroa-Lowe for a conversation about resilience, leadership, and standing up for fellow veterans. Join Rich…
“Gratitude and grief do go side by side.” For Day 6 of The MisFitNation Gratitude Challenge, Heather Martin honors her brother, Staff Sergeant John Martin, through the memories, family traditions, and love she carries forward as a Gold Star sister. Heather begins with gratitude to God for 33 amazing years…