To learn more about the Institute for Advanced NCO Leadership, please visit iamnco.org

Below are short bios for each of our guests joining us this episode.

A portfolio entrepreneur, Daniel K. Elder, lives his vision to support service members as they transition back to the workforce. He formed a start-up defense contracting firm in July 2013, having previously worked as the Senior Director of Business Development at McLane Advanced Technologies. Dan had a successful 26-year career as a U.S. Army noncommissioned officer and senior enlisted leader. A four-time Hall of Fame inductee and graduate of the Sergeants Major Academy, his culminating assignment was as the Army’s senior-most enlisted Sustainer while serving as the Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. Selected as the first Senior Enlisted Fellow for the Association of the United States Army and member of their Speakers Bureau, Mr. Elder is a citizen historian who has authored and edited numerous enlisted-focused books and publications, including Soldier for Life, the NCO Guide

(10th Ed.), and Sergeants Major of the Army (2nd/3rd Ed.). His latest book, NCO School, is scheduled for publication by the University of North Georgia Press in the Fall of 2025.

Dr. David J. Litteral, CSM, U.S. Army (Retired) Social Studies Teacher. He served in the U.S. Army for 32 years as a Combat Medic with numerous deployments as a Flight Medic and as the Command Sergeant Major of the 10th Combat Support Hospital, responsible for all hospital care from Baghdad to Basrah, Iraq. He oversaw the operations of the School of Army Aviation Medicine and later, the Department of Combat Medic Training. He was the 11th Commandant of The Army Medical Department Noncommissioned Officers’ Academy. David holds a BS in Management, an MA in History, and a Ph.D. in General Psychology. He and his wife, Charlene,

enjoy traveling and camping. They have been married for 43 years and have three grown children.

Mr. Lance P. Lehr is a seasoned executive consultant and a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major with over three decades of distinguished military service and leadership experience. He currently leads L2 Consulting, providing strategic guidance in program management, business development, and executive leadership. In this capacity, Mr. Lehr supports multiple firms in expanding their federal portfolios and increasing revenue across sectors.

Mr. Juan J. Ortiz Jr. is an executive consultant with a combined 43 years of service in the U.S. Army/Department of the Army Civilian, including 27 years on active duty, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major. He also spent 15 years as a Department of the Army Civilian, ending his career as the Director of the NCO Professional Development Directorate at the NCOLCoE.

Currently, he is an independent consultant providing strategic guidance in program management, military education development, and executive leadership.

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In this episode, John discusses how important mindset is in regards to leadership.

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John catches up with Scott and learns about what Scott has been up to in his retirement, and gets his thoughts on some different leadership topics.

Learn more about Scott here https://www.defense.gov/about/biographies/biography/article/1519214/master-gunnery-sergeant-scott-h-stalker/

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Morgan is an author of the book "Guns, Girls, and Greed" where he discusses his time working for Blackwater as a private military contractor.

Listen in as John and Morgan discuss Morgan's book, his military career, his time as a private military contractor, and his thoughts on the future of private military contractors.

Produced by: Bryan Troxell

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Listen in as John discusses the political polarization that has become prevalent in our nation and what some consequences of that polarization may be.

Recorded February 26, 2025

Produced/Edited by Bryan Troxell

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John is joined by Award Winning Author and Gold Star Wife Michelle Black to discuss her book "Sacrifice: The Green Berets, A Fateful Ambush, and a Gold Star Widow's Fight For the Truth" as well as discussing the mission that took her husband's life and the lives of other American service members.

The events discussed in this interview are riveting, and the book is nearly impossible to put down.

About "Sacrifice"

"The shocking and affecting memoir from a gold-star widow searching for the truth behind her Green Beret husband’s death, this book bears witness to the true sacrifices made by military families. When Green Beret Bryan Black was killed in an ambush in Niger in 2017, his wife Michelle saw her worst nightmare become a reality. She was left alone with her grief and with two young sons to raise. But what followed Bryan’s death was an even more difficult journey for the young widow. After receiving very few details about the attack that took her husband’s life, it was up to Michelle to find answers. It became her mission to learn the truth about that day in Niger–and Sacrifice is the result of that mission.In this heartbreaking and revelatory memoir, Michelle uses exclusive interviews with the survivors of her husband’s unit, research into the military leadership and accountability, and her own unique vantage point as a gold-star widow to tell a previously unknown story. Sacrifice is both an honest, emotional look inside a military marriage and a searing investigation of the people and decisions at the heart of the US military."

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Listen in as John discusses recent attacks in the US, discusses the current landscape of the US, and gives his best practices for staying safe.

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He shares his thoughts on the election, where the losing side went wrong, and what has bothered him the most about the way people have been reacting to the election.

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Ed currently serves as Director of Government Affairs for the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs in Columbia SC advocating for the nearly 400,000 Veterans and 60,000 Active-duty military and their families that are geographically dispersed throughout South Carolina and North Augusta Georgia, (Fort Eisenhower); additionally, Ed serves as a member of the Fort Jackson SC Commanding General’s community Board of Directors.

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Listen in as they discuss what it means to be a leader.

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Listen in as they discuss issues concerning national and global security.

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Listen in as he shares insights on the topic, discussing how too much empathy is impacting our nation, and how we can find a better balance.

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Listen in as he shares insights on topics ranging from the US response in Yemen, the national command authority, and South Africa's claims of genocide against Israel.

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Listen in as he shares insights on potential threats to national security, as well as how to prepare and respond to those threats.

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Listen in as he shares insights into combat preparation, and shares his experience of the worst day of his military career.

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Listen in to gain some insight to the responsibilities and duties a senior enlisted leader

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Listen in as SEAC (R) John Troxell discusses the ongoing conflict, what has happened, what to expect moving forward, and what America's involvement should be.

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