The Echo Review is going on a short mid-season break as we source more guests and begin planning for the next season. Before we dip, we wanted to share a short bonus episode with Elsie Alburquerque in which she discusses the setbacks she overcame while at basic training. As you would imagine, it involves injuries, The Forge and ibuprofen. It's a great anecdote about pushing yourself and finding your inner strength. In the last few weeks she's also launched her own in-person fitness coaching service Own Your Strength and has been helping people achieve their body goals.

• Elsie’s resiliency story and owning her strength…1:07
• Falling 25 feet is no joke…1:19
• “I don’t give up”…3:13
• Muscling through The Forge and sustaining two more injuries…4:16
• The decision to become a military police officer…7:30

Learn more about Elsie Alburquerque here: @elsiealburquerque

Learn more about Own Your Strength: @own_your_strength

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s a little bit of cursing but it’s mostly just casual conversation.

This episode was edited by Hensley Petite. ⁠⁠⁠Check him out there⁠⁠⁠.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media ⁠⁠⁠⁠@theechoreview⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check us out on ⁠⁠YouTube Shorts⁠⁠.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on ⁠⁠⁠Free Music Archive⁠⁠⁠. The intro song is called ⁠⁠⁠Coldness by “The Wanderer”⁠⁠⁠. The background music is a song called ⁠⁠⁠“Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0⁠⁠⁠.

He's back! For those that have never listened to his story, I highly recommend listening to my first interview with him here. TLDL; here's a YouTube Short that explains his story in a nutshell (LINK). Bobby is one of the most unconventional SMs I've ever spoken to. First he became a Marine at age 30, which is by no means old, but for USMC standards, you will undoubtedly have to get a waiver. Second, he dealt with many highs and lows in his young adult life and has worked a variety of jobs (from nude photography and adult movies to the post office). Much like others who enter the service later in life, he had a calling to do something more meaningful. Despite a decent ASVAB score he decided upon being an 0311 infantry Marine. Here's my follow up conversation with the legend.

• From the post office to the Marines...4:50
• Explaining to your recruiter that you used to do adult movies...6:40
• The waiver process for joining the Marines at 30...8:00
• He got an 83 on the ASVAB (which is pretty good for someone going 0311)...9:40
• How family tragedy led him down a path that would change him...11:40
• How the Marines molded him and made him a better person...14:10
• The hardest part of being older in the Marines...15:25
• Doing the Scout Sniper screener...21:50
• Will Bobby do MARSOC?...23:45

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s a little bit of cursing but it’s mostly just casual conversation. Also this episode contains some personal discussion that includes mention of personal tragedy.

This episode was edited by Hensley Petite. ⁠⁠Check him out there⁠⁠.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media ⁠⁠⁠@theechoreview⁠⁠⁠. Check us out on ⁠YouTube Shorts⁠.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on ⁠⁠Free Music Archive⁠⁠. The intro song is called ⁠⁠Coldness by “The Wanderer”⁠⁠. The background music is a song called ⁠⁠“Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0⁠⁠.

Just a heads up, while this conversation is very personal and dear, there is some discussion of violence which some may find uncomfortable, so listener discretion is advised.

I've known Mitzy Bello (pronounced be-yo), for over 15 years. We met in school and went separate paths but kept in touch intermittently during the period after. In the last 4 years, her and I have spoken a lot more. The catalyst was seeing a pic of her raising her right hand and taking the oath and learning that she was joining the Army National Guard. Much like myself, she joined at a later age, yet I never got to the heart of why she joined. Well, after a few messages, she was down to chat about her journey into the military and what set her down the path of enlistment.

• What led her to the National Guard -- and the "fake" answers she occasionally gives...3:15
• The real reason she joined...4:25
• How the current crisis in Mexico hit close to home for her...6:00
• Auto-pilot in basic training...8:10
• "A lot stronger than I ever thought"...8:37
• The fitness journey after AIT...12:30
• Questions she got during basic training...20:47
• From retail employee to signal soldier...22:17
• Lessons on showing up and trying that she learned from the military...25:18

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s a little bit of cursing but it’s mostly just casual conversation. Also this episode contains some personal discussion that includes mention of violence.

This episode was edited by Hensley Petite. ⁠⁠Check him out there⁠⁠.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media ⁠⁠⁠@theechoreview⁠⁠⁠. Check us out on ⁠YouTube Shorts⁠.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on ⁠⁠Free Music Archive⁠⁠. The intro song is called ⁠⁠Coldness by “The Wanderer”⁠⁠. The background music is a song called ⁠⁠“Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0⁠⁠.

I mention Snow a lot. He was in this season's trailer and last season's trailer. We met randomly through a mutual friend and not unlike myself, wanted to pursue uniformed service later in life. He faced one particular setback from achieving this; he had to leave Marine Corps OCS due to an injury. After a few years he's bounced back and is pursuing a career in the Air National Guard. Take a listen to my conversation with him before he shipped out to BMT.

For full context here's my first interview with him: Episode 1 | Slava Ukraini. TLDL (too long didn't listen), peep this intro to him from that episode (Snow | In His Own Words).

• 2:55…The first conversation with Snow after AIT
• 3:08…Rewind that back: when Snow and Jordan first met
• 4:01…Peep the USMC boots
• 5:21…Ship date excitement; from hardest basic to the easiest basic
• 10:13…”I want to try and embrace the challenge”
• 10:28…The path Snow is taking in the military

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s a little bit of cursing but it’s mostly just casual conversation. Listener discretion is recommended.

This episode was edited by Hensley Petite. ⁠Check him out there⁠.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media ⁠⁠@theechoreview⁠⁠. Check us out on YouTube Shorts.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on ⁠Free Music Archive⁠. The intro song is called ⁠Coldness by “The Wanderer”⁠. The background music is a song called ⁠“Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0⁠.

Enlisting at age 40 is rare. Enlisting at age 40 and going through military police training is even rarer. Elsie Alburquerque is both of these things, making her a unicorn among unicorns.

Like many in the Guard that joined later in life, she had a multitude of experiences before taking the oath. No matter what was thrown at her, be it a lengthy waiver process or an injury, she continued to bounce back and take the setbacks in stride.

Listen to her story of reinvention and resiliency right here.

• 3:40…Elsie’s origin story: from paralegal to military police officer
• 5:05…Why did Elsie decide on 31B?
• 10:53…How did people react when they found out her age at BCT?
• 14:00…The female’s drill sergeant reaction
• 16:33…Why she didn’t mind OSUT (one station unit training)
• 19:30…Elsie’s fitness journey

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s a little bit of cursing but it’s mostly just casual conversation. Listener discretion is recommended.

To learn more about Elsie check her out on social media. Follow her HERE.

This episode was edited by Hensley Petite. Check him out there.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on Free Music Archive. The intro song is called Coldness by “The Wanderer”. The background music is a song called “Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media @theechoreview.

SSG Jessie is a combat medic, runner and mother. When you hear the phrase “she can do both,” I like to think she can do more than both — she can do a lot! Aside from those three things, she’s also had a career in accounting before she joined the military in her early 30’s. She also explains how preparing for the military cultivated her interest in distance running which led to her competing in marathons.

• 1:22…Meet Staff Sergeant Jessie
• 3:02 …”Do it now before it’s too late”
• 4:00 … Preparing for basic training
• 8:25…The toxic work environment that led to her joining the National Guard
• 10:15 … DEI in the military vs non-profits
• 12:40…36B, 27D or 68W? What made SSG Jessie go from civilian accountant to combat medic?
• 15:20…How the military got SSG Jessie into running
• 16:09..."I'm not fast but I'm a good 8:30-9 minute runner" - how SSGG Jessie graduated from 5Ks to marathons through training ☝️
• 19:10…Recommended running routes in New York

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s a little bit of cursing but it’s mostly just casual conversation. Listener discretion is recommended.

This episode was edited by Hensley Petite. Check him out HERE!

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on Free Music Archive. The intro song is called Coldness by “The Wanderer”. The background music is a song called “Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media @theechoreview.

This season we’re focusing on service members who entered the military later in life. I wanted to kick things off with a friend of mine from basic training who fit this profile, SPC Francis. She went from vice principal to enlisted Army National Guard soldier. Not only is her journey to BCT unique, she also had a very, ahem, expedited recruiting process. Check out her story.

• 2:08 … Who is SPC Francis?
• 2:50 … Teacher to Troop: Francis Begins
• 3:06 … how COVID-19 had impact on Francis’ life
• 5:00 … how she decided on the Guard
• 13:25 ... Imagine taking the ASVAB, MEPS and contracting back-to-back
• 17:15 … Plot twist: Francis stuns the entire contracting office
• 20:00 … Plot twist again: Francis ships out two weeks after stunning the contracting office
• 27:20 … Francis on her experience with young people at BCT

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions of the guests on this series are their own. There’s a little bit of cursing but it’s mostly just casual conversation.Listener discretion is recommended.

This episode was edited by Hannah Sunday. She’s pretty awesome and you can follow her @h.ameka.sunday.

The music you hear in this season are two public domain songs found on Free Music Archive. The intro song is called Coldness by “The Wanderer”. The background music is a song called “Sky Scrapers” by HoliznaCC0.

Make sure to check out The Echo Review on social media @theechoreview.

Ok let's try this again.

Special thanks to Hannah, Hensley, Yung Snow God, the homies in the group chat, the battle buddies trying to improve their running time and anyone that joined the service over the age of 27.

Let's get it season.

Trailer edited by Hannah Sunday.