Tango Alpha Lima Podcast

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Viva La Vargas: Service, Social Media and Showing Up / Tango Alpha Lima

June 02, 2026

What does it take to reach tens of millions of people a month while still on active duty? For Army Sgt. First Class Johnny Vargas — better known as Viva La Vargas — it started with a car fire, a recruiting station and a promise to himself to show up every single day.In this episode, Johnny chats about his journey from aspiring recording artist in Los Angeles to one of the military community's most trusted and entertaining voices online. He breaks down the three pillars that guide every piece ...

Gold Star Father turns Abbey Gate tragedy into mission to heal veterans - Tango Alpha Lima

May 19, 2026

On Aug. 26, 2021, Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, age 20, was among 13 servicemembers killed at the Abbey Gate in Kabul during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He had wanted to be a Marine since he was 8.In the weeks after Jared's death, condolence checks from strangers filled more than a foot of mail. His father, Mark, couldn't bring himself to spend a single dollar of it.So he launched a nonprofit instead aimed at honoring the fallen and helping servicemembers with their m...

Moral Injury: The invisible wound the VA healthcare system keeps missing – Tango Alpha Lima

May 05, 2026

In 2003, Marine infantryman Ryan Roberts helped recover the remains of 18 comrades killed in the battle of Nasiriyah, many by friendly fire. The next day, his fire team stopped a vehicle at a checkpoint. When he opened the back door, he found two children aged four and six.He had joined the military to protect the innocent. In doing the right thing, he violated that core value. And no one — not in 17 years of VA care and private treatment — ever gave him the language for what that did to him....