Behind The Shield

Tim Spradlin is the director and EAGALA Certified Equine Specialist for Finally Home Farm, a 501c3 nonprofit charity providing equine therapies to veterans and first responders with emotional wounds near Xenia, Ohio. He and his wife Susan provide support services to wounded warriors at no charge.
Tim is retired from a 40 plus year civilian career as a firefighter, paramedic and law enforcement officer. He also served in the US Air Force on active duty in Crash - Fire – Rescue and later retired from the USAF Reserve where he was a SMSgt / First Sergeant with the Security Forces squadron.
Tim is a certified Community Service Chaplain, certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist and volunteers as the Chaplain for Xenia Township Fire Department. He is a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2402, and is the Chaplain for the Ohio VFW 3rd District.

Jennifer Eskew is a former Virginia State Trooper, a retired ATF Senior Special Agent, Author, and subject matter expert in undercover operations, fire and explosion origin and cause determinations and criminal investigations involving the violent crimes of arson and bombings, armed career criminals, and financial fraud. We discuss her journey into Law Enforcement, joining the ATF, the worldwide cost of tobacco use, the failure of drug prohibition, her powerful mental health story, corporate greed and so much more.
Her debut memoir, Becoming Fire—featuring a foreword by Detective Lt. Joe Kenda of Homicide Hunter and American Detective—invites readers into the hidden world of those who run toward danger when everyone else runs away.​
From her beginnings in a small Virginia farming town to a groundbreaking career in policing, Eskew’s journey has been shaped by a lifelong calling to protect, serve, and seek truth. The spark was lit early—when, as a six-year-old girl, she witnessed the aftermath of a violent crime that nearly took the lives of her family and neighbors. That moment ignited a determination that would carry her through decades of service, countless investigations, and personal sacrifice.​
Through Becoming Fire, Jennifer brings a rare, insider’s perspective to the realities of law enforcement—balancing the adrenaline of the job with the emotional toll of bearing witness to humanity at its worst. Her story reveals the heart behind the badge, exploring not just what it takes to stand on the thin blue line, but why some are called to do so.
Today, Jennifer continues her mission beyond the uniform—sharing her experiences through writing, speaking engagements, and advocacy for those who serve. Her voice honors the fallen, uplifts the living, and reminds us that true bravery isn’t the absence of fear—it’s walking through it with purpose.
https://www.jenniferclarkeeskew.com/

Jason Khalipa is a former Crossfit Games champion, author and the founder of NCFIT. We discuss Sandlot Jax, jiujitsu and fitness, his journey into Crossfit, overcoming distractions, training the tactical athlete, his daughter's powerful cancer story and so much more.

Owen McCLung-Sitnam is a veteran helicopter pilot and the founder of Helicopters Without Borders. We discuss his journey into aviation, his father's service, fighting wildfires, wilderness medicine, Canada's First Nations, his non-profit and so much more.
Owen McClung-Sitnam is a helicopter captain who holds a commercial and airline transport pilot license in Canada and the USA. Accumulating over 3,000 flying hours, primarily fighting forest fires across Canada and flying air ambulance missions up and down British-Columbia’s coast. His experience instilled in him a passion for the power of community support through aviation. Owen also featured in the Top 40 under 40 for Helicopters magazine in their 2021 edition.
Owen studied sustainability in the past and is finishing his Master of Business Administration degree at Royal Roads University. Before embarking into ASF and HWB, Owen headed Business Development for a charter company in Alberta.
https://helicopterswithoutborders.org/

For the past 29 years Andrea has worked for the Department of Defense including the Marine Corps, Marine Special Operations Command, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, and at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the University of Colorado.
She grew up in the south of Chile and in the hills of the Andes mountains. From childhood, she learned the value of traditional medicine through observing her grandparents perform traditional healing rituals. Her knowledge is drawn from traditional educational institutions in the US as well as mentors from the Lakota community and Mexican healers.
Andrea specializes in the holistic treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. As an advocate for integrated medicine and a holistic approach to healing, her experiences include trauma sensitive yoga, tai chi, meditation, mind body medicine, shamanic healing, and martial arts. She has been featured in several publications, including the National Journal, U.S. Medicine: The Voice of Federal Medicine, FIGHT magazine, and recently in the New York Times paper for her work on post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
https://www.thesirenproject.org/