Finding Meaning and Healing After the Military, Trash Talking in Uniform, Camaraderie in Combat | Cav Soldier + 18C | Kenny Stone and Ben Raymond

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Today we hear a Combat Story from both a veteran Cav soldier and active duty Green Beret, Kenny Stone and Ben Raymond. Kenny and Ben did not serve together but have found community, purpose, and challenge as part of Kenny’s non-profit, Soldiers on Singletrack, which brings veterans and active duty soldiers together through mountain bike and racing.

Kenny served as a Cav soldier with 1-5 Cav in Iraq across two tough deployments during the surge where, during an IED event, he ended up with TBI. He found a rekindled love for mountain biking and realized it helped address some of the cognitive issues he’d experienced after leaving the service and wanted other vets to experience the same.

Ben met Kenny at a Soldiers on Singletrack event where they struck up a friendship. Ben is still in service with 3rd Special Forces Group and started his SF career as an 18D medic but then transitioned to the 18C route. He found mountain biking to be the hobby he needed to disconnect and clear his head when he’s out of uniform.

I hope you enjoy this story about finding a new path after service to help deal with the challenges faced after years of a traumatic and trying job like those in the military, law enforcement, or first responders and please check out Soldiers on Singletrack if this is something that you feel could help you or someone you know. 

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- Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
Find Kenny and Ben Online:
- Website: https://soldiersonsingletrack.org/
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/soldiersonsingletrackmtb/

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Show Notes:
00:00 - Intro 
00:37 - Guest Introduction (Kenny Stone & Ben Raymond)
01:54 - Interview begins
02:24 - Soliders On Singletrack
05:48 - Childhood and Mountain Biking
11:37 - Ben Joining the Army
15:47 - Kenny Joining the Army
18:37 - Recruiter experience
21:20 - Life in a CAV unit
26:02 - Nutrisense Ad
27:39 - Kenny's first time outside the wire
30:01 - Kenny's challenging moments
34:03 - Ben's path through the Army
44:20 - Kenny's deployment mid-rotation
46:51 - The right approach to loss in combat
49:22 - Coming back after combat deployments
55:33 - A mission that went wrong
01:00:05 - Shooting pistols and Mentors
01:04:49 - Marines and Army banter
01:05:47 - Most courageous action
01:10:28 - Commaderie while serving
01:12:50 - Transitioning out and S.O.S.
01:21:31  -  Listener comments and shout outs