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A single bad week can define a leader, especially when the whole country is watching and the information is incomplete. Former acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly joins us for a candid, detailed conversation about what it’s like to make consequential decisions at the highest levels of Navy leadership and the Department of Defense, then live with the second-guessing long after the moment has passed.

We start with his Cleveland upbringing as the child of Eastern European immigrants, his path through the Naval Academy, and a career that blends military aviation, teaching, business leadership, and Pentagon service. From there, we get practical about change management inside enormous institutions: why bureaucracy resists innovation, how priorities vanish after leadership turnover, and why he believes longer terms for service secretaries could help sustain real defense reform. We also talk about military due process and what the Gallagher case revealed to him about investigative assumptions and the need for specialized expertise in laws of armed conflict cases.

Then we go to the most scrutinized moment: the USS Theodore Roosevelt COVID-19 outbreak. Modly explains how he processed risk, command breakdowns, crisis communication, and accountability, including the decision to relieve Captain Crozier and what he wishes he could have done differently face to face with the crew. We close with a clear-eyed look at naval strategy and shipbuilding, including what the 355-ship goal actually measures, why industrial base capacity matters more than slogans, and how workforce shortages can become a national security constraint.

If you value thoughtful leadership lessons, Navy history that’s still unfolding, and honest reflection without the partisan filter, subscribe, share this conversation, and leave a review so more listeners can find Stories of Service.

Stories of Service presents guests’ stories and opinions in their own words, reflecting their personal experiences and perspectives. While shared respectfully and authentically, the podcast does not independently verify all statements. Views expressed are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the host, producers, government agencies, or podcast affiliates.

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

Let us know what you think of the show and what we can do better!

The VA isn’t just a healthcare system. It’s a national promise that follows service members from the day they leave uniform through specialty care, benefits decisions, and finally a dignified burial with perpetual care. I sat down with the Honorable Dr. David J. Shulkin, the ninth Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to talk about what it’s like to carry that responsibility at scale and to lead through the kind of pressure most leaders never face.

We get into the VA wait time crisis and the leadership moves required to fix access fast, including why clear priorities beat endless consensus when delays can become life-or-death. Dr. Shulkin also shares the moment early in his VA tenure that changed how he saw the mission: some veterans need a system built for complex behavioral health, substance use treatment, rehabilitation, and service-connected injuries that the private sector often isn’t structured to handle. That’s why he argues against full VA privatization and for a hybrid model that protects VA expertise while using community care when it truly helps veterans.

We also tackle veterans benefits and disability claims, including why “fraud” is often a predictable outcome of a complex, adversarial process that forces veterans to prove what the government should already know. We talk DD214 barriers, classified service documentation, and why a unified DoD and VA electronic health record could remove huge friction for veterans navigating VA healthcare and VA benefits. Finally, we discuss public accountability, media transparency, leadership stability, and why memorial affairs is an overlooked part of what makes the VA unique.

If you care about VA reform, veteran care, disability claims, or the future of community care, hit play, share this conversation with someone who needs it, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. After listening, will you argue for a stronger VA, a bigger private-sector role, or a true hybrid system?

Stories of Service presents guests’ stories and opinions in their own words, reflecting their personal experiences and perspectives. While shared respectfully and authentically, the podcast does not independently verify all statements. Views expressed are those of the guests and do not necessarily re

Support the show

Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

Let us know what you think of the show and what we can do better!

The loudest arguments about women in combat usually skip the only thing that matters: what it looks like on the ground when you are the one carrying the ruck, enforcing standards, and trying to stay safe inside a broken system. I’m joined by Riley Grupo, an Army officer who served in an infantry role and isn’t afraid to answer the question everyone dodges, “Were the standards lowered?” From the grenade toss to night missions on little sleep, Riley explains what was hard, what was fair, and where the pressure actually comes from.

We also go where most conversations stop. Riley shares what she faced before formal infantry qualification training, including harassment and assault, and we talk about how leadership and accountability either protect people or quietly reward the worst behavior. Then we dig into the practical side of combat arms integration that affects readiness for everyone: plate carriers and rucks that do not fit, preventable injuries, and the lack of transparent long-term data. If you care about military standards, women in the infantry, combat arms readiness, and real solutions beyond politics, this is the nuanced middle-ground discussion we keep asking for.

The second half shifts toward healing and rebuilding after service. Riley opens up about a recent traumatic brain injury discovery, how symptoms can overlap with PTSD, and a skiing and snowboarding program that produced measurable improvements in days. We close with what she’s building now, The Standard, a mind body mission framework for veterans, leaders, and high performers who want to close the gap between potential and execution.

Subscribe for more honest stories, share this with someone who cares about military culture, and leave a review with your take: what needs to change first to make standards and safety coexist?

Support the show

Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76