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In October 2009, Corporal Andy Reid MBE was blown up by a Taliban improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Injured so badly that it was thought he would not survive, he defied the odds to the extent that, within a month, he was able to meet up with members of his patrol again. What he has achieved since then is little short of unbelievable.

The winner of The Sun's Millie award in 2010, and awarded an MBE in 2019, Andy has continuously supported veterans and people with disabilities. This year he will walk the London Marathon to raise money for The Army Benevolent Fund, who Andy credits with giving him great support in his own time of need.

You can support it here: https://events.armybenevolentfund.org/fundraisers/andyreidmbe/londonmarathon2026

And you can find Andy on Instagram @andyreid2506

His website is: https://www.standingtall.co.uk/

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please email us at info@vsompodcast.com, or follow us on social media: @veteranstateofmind

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Mike Harrage is a former British Army soldier who began his military career as a Radio Operator in the Royal Signals. Early on, he realised he wanted to push himself further and volunteered for the Airborne Forces straight out of training. After successfully completing P Company and his parachute training, he earned the coveted Maroon Beret and Parachute Wings.

Mike deployed on two operational tours of Afghanistan, experiencing combat on both. His first tour as a Company Signaller attached The Royal Irish Regiment, operating from a patrol base in Nade Ali, Helmand Province.

He later deployed on a second tour as an attachment to a Special Operations advisory team. Made up of International Special Forces SNCO’s and Officers they were tasked with advising the Crisis Response Unit, a Special Forces Squadron in an elite Regiment of Afghan National Police operating in Kabul.

Known for his sense of humour, Mike tells his story with an emphasis on the laughter and banter that helped soldiers endure some of their darkest moments. Always a smile on his face.

Today, Mike works professionally in telecommunications and is also an emerging DJ. He has written a number of poems reflecting on the soldier’s experience in Afghanistan, aiming to give a voice to those who did not return. In the near future, he plans to launch a platform to share these works more widely.

Instagram: @blactionman

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please email us at info@vsompodcast.com, or follow us on social media: @veteranstateofmind

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Trey Morriss is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with thirty-one years of service, serving and supporting the legendary Eighth Air Force. His love of aviation runs deep―shaped by stories of his grandfather and uncle, who flew combat missions over Europe in World War II. Early in his career, Morriss took part in a top-secret, record-setting strike that opened Operation Desert Storm―the longest combat mission of its time and a turning point in modern warfare. He later flew 32 combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan following 9/11. He’s a decorated veteran and sought-after keynote speaker. He lives in Louisiana with his wife, and they cherish time with their five adult children and three grandchildren.

Instagram: @treymorriss

Colonel Morriss's book, Doom 34: https://www.amazon.com/DOOM-34-Firsthand-Top-Secret-Operation/dp/1493093614

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please email us at info@vsompodcast.com, or follow us on social media: @veteranstateofmind

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