Speak Freely Podcast

Check out this SPECIAL EDITION of the Speak Freely Podcast -- the show that brings veterans on to have tough conversations about the politics and policy issues that are dividing America. In many ways, our Season 2 finale is the quintessential “Speak Freely” episode. Our vision for the show from the beginning was to explore veterans' dreams for America. We say at the start of every episode, “What is the change that THEY want to see?” In this episode, we really get a chance to dive deep into that question and to find out from 6 veterans graduating from the University of Washington this year, what are their wishes for the graduating class of 2019? The episode was recorded in May 2019 just after Memorial Day and just before the graduation season. To all our fans, we hope you enjoy and share our message with recent graduates!!

On today’s episode, we’re talking to two veterans from the University of Washington and asking them the central question - what is the role of the U.S. tech community in America’s national defense? Our guests are Katherine Pratt and Nathan Lewis. Katherine is an Air Force vet and current PhD candidate studying computer brain interfaces here at UW’s electrical engineering program. She was also recently featured in a Marvel comic called Unstoppable Wasp. Make sure you check it out. Nathan Lewis is a former enlisted Marine and logistics officer with multiple tours overseas. Since coming to the UW Foster School of Business he’s been focused on operations and consulting. We definitely appreciated his perspective on defense tech given his exposure to large-scale software systems as a logistics officer--and we know you will appreciate it too!

On this episode of Speak Freely, we’re talking to veterans about the 2nd Amendment and Gun Law Reform, and asking the central question---is there a middle ground on this issue that both sides of the aisle can agree on? Our first guest is Jake Murphy, a former infantryman and squad leader in the U.S. Army and a current business student at the University of Washington in Tacoma. During his time in the service, Jake deployed multiple times overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan and speaks to how his experience as a combat veteran influences his views on the 2nd Amendment and gun rights in this country. Then we’ll hear from Eddie Reed, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and now lives in Seattle, WA. Eddie received his BS in Art and Art Education from the University of Maine and an EdD from University of Washington, Seattle. Eddie brings his perspective to this conversation both as someone who grew up hunting and as a former high school principal responsible for conducting active shooter drills with the staff and students.

On today’s episode, we’re reviewing President Trump’s recent State of the Union address and exploring the central question: what is the real state of the Union? Our guest is Chris Thobaben, a former Marine officer living in Vancouver, WA, now working as an entrepreneur and consulting on the Marine Corps’ logistics innovation program called NexLog. He ran for office in Washington’s 18th legislative district as a Democrat in 2018--and managed to make the race more tightly contested than a lot of people expected, in a traditionally very conservative district. Given his campaign experiences, his perspective on the recent government shutdown and the State of the Union address was super valuable.

For Episode 2 of Speak Freely, we’re talking to veterans about the results of the recent midterms and asking them the central question -what should we make of the results as we look towards 2020? Our first guest for the episode is Sue Fulton, a member of the first class at West Point to admit women and a former Signal Officer. Over the years, Sue has continued to serve her country by advocating for LGBT servicemembers, and women in politics and leadership positions. Sue also currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the West Point Board of Visitors, where she helps shape the academic, physical, and leadership standards for the Army’s future officers. Our second guest for the episode is Josh Darnell. Josh is a former Army infantry officer who was wounded by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan and has since moved on to pursue his Master’s and PhD in International Relations and American Politics from the University of Georgia. Together, we discussed the midterm results, the growing number of veterans in elected office, and what the American public should expect as presidential candidates start throwing their hats in the race.