130-pound ruck. Mountains. Moving 0.1 kilometers an hour. No quick comms. No shortcuts. Just slow, deliberate movement... because in Recon, speed can get people killed. Mike Keevil breaks down what a long-range recon patrol actually looks like. This is just one piece of a conversation that goes deep. Mike also…
Most of the doors that change your life, open up because you were willing to say "yes" to the unknown. Mike Keevil didn't build his life by waiting for perfect conditions. He said yes when he didn't know the outcome. He jumped when he couldn't see the landing. That's the…
"𝘕𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩." That thought keeps a lot of veterans (and a lot of people in general) isolated. Recon Marine Mike Keevil pushes back on it hard. The details may differ between all of us, but the weight of the trauma doesn't. Whether it's combat, a toxic…
We do a lot to take care of ourselves physically: we train, we push, we stay sharp. But mental health? That’s the part a lot of people avoid. Check out the full conversation with Mike Keevil of 40K Dirtbags, available now on The Morning Formation Podcast. 🎧 𝙃𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛…
I remember standing there thinking… "that could’ve been us." Moments like that stay with you. Because sometimes it’s not about skill, experience, or preparation. Sometimes… it’s just circumstance. This clip comes from the newest episode of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵. Check it out on YouTube or wherever you get your…
There’s a point where the mission changes and you have to figure out what comes next. For Mike Keevil, that didn’t happen all at once. It went from combat… to transitioning out of the military… to finding something completely different. Warhammer started as an outlet. Then it became his community.…
There’s a moment after the mission changes where you have to figure out who you are again. For Mike, part of that process came through something unexpected. Warhammer. Not just a game... but strategy, creativity, competition, and a community that gave him a space to rebuild, learn, and be a…
Not every bad decision punishes you right away. Some sit quietly for years, stacking interest, until they show up in your marriage, your drinking, your patience, and the way you talk to yourself in the mirror. That’s where this conversation with Marine Recon veteran and competitive shooter Mike Keevil gets…
There’s what you think something is going to be like… …and then there’s reality. Mike shared a moment from combat where he heard a grenade call and, for a split second, his mind went to something familiar. A video game. But in real life, there’s no perfect angle, no reset,…
Mike volunteered to deploy to Iraq with a certain understanding of what his role would be. Once he arrived, that understanding changed. Check out Part 1 of my conversation with Mike Keevil on The Morning Formation podcast. Part 2 will be airing next week! #MilitaryStories #VeteranStories
Not every moment in combat is action. Mike Keevil shared a moment where rounds were coming down an alleyway, there was no clear target, no real cover, and nowhere to move. And in that moment… all he could do was stand there and wait. That’s a side of these experiences…
When I went through Army basic training, I got put in as a squad leader early on… and somehow never got fired the entire cycle. Looking back, I think they just forgot about me half the time. But I took it seriously. I made sure my squad was squared away,…
There’s something powerful about someone taking the time to teach you when they don’t have to. Mike Keevil shared a moment where he didn’t fully understand what he was doing, and instead of pretending, he asked for help. Thankfully, someone stepped up and showed him. What stuck with me is…
A lot of people see the highlight reel. They don’t always see the reality behind it. When I sat down with Mike Keevil @40kdirtbags he shared what life actually looked like in certain moments during his time in the service... including going nearly 3 MONTHS without a shower while deployed.…
When Mike decided he wanted to go Recon, there wasn’t a clear roadmap. No YouTube videos. No step-by-step guide. So he did something simple... he asked someone who had already done it. The answer he got? Do the work. Then do more of it. Moments like this remind me that…
There are parts of war that don’t get talked about. In this conversation with Mike Keevil, he shares his experience in mortuary affairs. A role that requires not just discipline, but emotional resilience. This clip is raw, real, and a reminder that behind every name is a life, a family,…
Some moments in combat happen so fast they barely make sense until later. In this episode, Mike Keevil shares a moment from a firefight where time seemed to slow down for just a second. He saw something his teammate didn’t. A grenade. What happened next is the kind of split-second…
A lot of military stories get polished into highlight reels. We wanted the version that still has grit under the fingernails. I’m joined by Mike Keevil, a retired Recon Marine who served through multiple wars and carried those lessons into training, instruction, and the long process of figuring out who…
One topic that doesn’t get enough attention in conversations about veterans, police officers, and first responders is morale. People in these professions face intense stress, high responsibility, and often difficult public scrutiny. When morale drops, it doesn’t just affect job performance...it affects the mental and emotional well-being of the people…
One thing I always want to understand when I sit down with someone is what their foundation is. What shapes their decisions? What keeps them steady when life gets hard? When I asked Phil Nozaki that question, his answer was simple and direct. Jesus. Phil grew up in a faith-centered…
This podcast has always been about the fight. The struggle. The resilience. The perseverance it takes to keep showing up when life throws something heavy your way. I’ve been blessed to know people who are strong in so many ways... tactically, spiritually, in their communities, and in their families. Phil…
For many families, military service from past generations remains a mystery. Which I think is a real shame. As I rewatch this clip, I'm reminded of how important it is to ask questions, document stories, and preserve the history of those who came before us. #VeteranStories #MilitaryFamilies #MilitaryHistory #VeteransVoices #UntoldStories
Sometimes the biggest answers come from asking the right question. When Phil Nozaki was preparing for surgery, one surgeon from UCLA suggested something different: genetic testing before the operation. That decision revealed that Phil wasn’t dealing with a typical kidney cancer. He had HLRCC (𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘓𝘦𝘪𝘰𝘮𝘺𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳)…
We chase a lot of things in life... more money, more success, more achievements. But when people look back at the end of their lives, it’s rarely about what they earned. It’s about the time they spent with the people they love. In this episode of The Morning Formation Podcast,…