Guess Who’s Bizack? Fresh from being “on standby to shock the world,” Damon is fresh from his tour on the USS Nimitz and preparing for his first tour as a Command Master Chief. He discusses his feelings about going on deployment, knowing that he had another job waiting for him. Damo reflects on his first tour as a Senior Enlisted Leader. Is 5 years on a ship even necessary? Damon doubles down on “Leadership Discussions.” Damo addresses comments regarding accusations about past guests. Damon gives his ultimate “Post Carrier Tour Do Better.” Damo adds a few of his own. Damon salutes the pod for keeping it going while he’s been gone. This leads Damo to cover a personal story about his family and how pivotal timing can be. The guys discuss the weaponization of the CO’s Suggestion box. Damon drops some jewels on not creating “barriers.” These and more topics are covered in this episode.

To have your “Do Better” reviewed on a future episode, please get in touch with us at ptsfpodcast@gmail.com

Keep up with the ‘Permission to Speak Freely’ podcast on our social media and YouTube - https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast

Book of the Week:

How to Navy (James Cross) - https://www.amazon.com/How-Navy-Lessons-Leadership-Deckplates/dp/B0F85ZXR8C

Movie Review:

Warfare (Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31434639/

Additional Credits:

PTSF “Theme Music” - Produced by Lim0

Marine Vet, Entrepreneur, and Marketing & Communications Manager, Patrick Trujillo opens up about the weight of five deployments, the silent damage of pride, and the night it all came crashing down. But this isn’t where the story ends — it’s where it finally starts to make sense.

After the Marine Corps, Patrick found himself in a battle no one prepared him for: civilian life. And that’s when he found the Warrior-Scholar Project. He didn’t just get help — he got a mission.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The boot camp lesson that rewired his understanding of leadership
• How Warrior-Scholar restored his identity and gave him academic confidence
• The importance of veterans having space to be students, not just survivors
• Why he now helps other vets sit where he once sat: broken, angry, but not done

This one’s for anyone who thought their story peaked in uniform. It didn’t. It starts where you think it’s over.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Warrior-Scholar Project (Homepage)

📚 Explore WSP Programs

📝 Apply as a Scholar

💡 Support or Donate

To have your “Do Better” reviewed on a future episode, please get in touch with us at ptsfpodcast@gmail.com

Keep up with the ‘Permission to Speak Freely’ podcast on our social media and YouTube - https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast

Additional Credits:

PTSF “Theme Music” - Produced by Lim0

YNCS Ashley Williams is back! This time, she’s joining us on a bonus episode. This episode is our first Q&A session, featuring questions submitted directly from listeners and pulled from the internet. Topics include what it means to buy into the CPO Creed, whether putting in an officer package is still worth it, and how to lead Sailors who make more money outside the Navy than they do in uniform. A Reddit post about a Sailor checking into a command on Juneteenth — without knowing anything going on — sparks a bigger conversation about responsibility, communication, and culture. These and more topics are covered on this episode.

Book of the Week:

Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography by Staci Robinson

To have your “Do Better” reviewed on a future episode, please get in touch with us at ptsfpodcast@gmail.com

Keep up with the ‘Permission to Speak Freely’ podcast on our social media and YouTube - https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast

Additional Credits:

PTSF “Theme Music” - Produced by Lim0