Marine Sent to Help Afghan Kids Caught in Devastating Blast
She came to America at five. She became a Marine. What happened next will stay with you.This week on Urban Valor, we dive into the story of Gunnery Sergeant Kimmy Lamano, a Filipino-American immigrant who rose through the ranks of the U.S. Marine Corps while carrying the weight of trauma, silence, and survival.From growing up in Manila and Hawaii, to surviving a convoy explosion in Afghanistan while teaching Afghan children, Kimmy’s journey is one of grit, honor, and post-service healing. For 18 years, she served her country in combat zones, humanitarian crises, and as a trailblazing female Drill Instructor.But it wasn’t just the battlefield she had to fight on. It was the return home, the invisible wounds, and the struggle to find purpose beyond the uniform.💥 Hear how an undocumented TBI and PTSD nearly took her down — and how she came back to serve again, this time through her nonprofit Fidelis Outreach, helping veterans and communities around the world.🎙️ This is more than a Marine Corps story. It’s the story of an immigrant who became a leader, a survivor, and a voice for others who suffer in silence.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video chapters: 00:00 – Surviving a Convoy Blast in Afghanistan01:19 – From Manila to the Marine Corps02:52 – Early Struggles & Learning English05:29 – Life with Her Marine Stepdad06:13 – Decision to Join the Marines09:01 – Brutal First Days of Bootcamp12:53 – Injury, Rehab & Staying the Course17:42 – First Deployment: Hurricane Katrina23:06 – Evacuating Beirut, 200626:49 – Becoming a Resilient Leader30:45 – Combat Deployments & FOB Life34:42 – Teaching Afghan Kids on Deployment38:30 – The Blast That Changed Everything43:39 – Lingering Effects of TBI & PTSD45:51 – Fulfilling Her Dream: Drill Instructor49:32 – Transforming Recruits Through Training53:18 – Behind the Scenes at Parris Island56:28 – Wrapping Up Her Military Career59:42 – Civilian Transition & Mental Health1:04:10 – Founding Fidelis Outreach1:05:43 – Giving Back Around the World#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories
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Marine Commander Blown Up, Ambushed, & Hunted by Enemy Sniper
Blown up by a 25lb IED. Hunted by a sniper. Lost six Marines in one of the deadliest provinces in Afghanistan.This is Marine Lt. Col. Mike Manocchio’s story — and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever heard, and it's right here on today's Urban Valor Episode! Mike led troops through nonstop combat in Marjah, Helmand Province — an area packed with IEDs, ambushes, and Taliban fighters tracking their every move. He survived a massive explosion, had sniper rounds miss his head by inches, and still went back out to lead his men.But the hardest part wasn’t the firefights. It was what came after. The survivor’s guilt. The PTSD. The faces of the Marines who didn’t come home.He opens up about the chaos of war, the day Kyle Carpenter threw himself on a grenade, and what it’s like trying to put the pieces back together when the war ends — but the battle doesn’t.If you’re looking for Afghanistan war stories, Marine IED survival, or veteran interviews — this one’s going to stay with you.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video chapters: 00:00 – Blown Up by a 25lb IED in Marjah03:42 – Why He Joined After 9/1107:15 – First Deployment & Losing Marines Early12:01 – Training for the Surge in Afghanistan18:30 – Marjah Patrols & Taliban Ambushes Begin27:04 – IED Blast Knocks Him Out Cold36:02 – Sniper Round Nearly Hits His Head44:50 – Six Marines Lost in Combat57:43 – Taliban Coordinated Attack Across Bases1:27:50 – Mental Health Collapse & Finding Help#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories
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US Soldiers Survive Korean DMZ Shootout & Fatal Insider Attack in Kuwait
In 2003, just days before the U.S. invaded Iraq, a US Army base in Kuwait—Camp Pennsylvania - was hit with a deadly insider attack. In this weeks Urban Valor episode, Army Sergeant Major Bart Womack recounts the terrifying night a fellow soldier threw grenades into tents full of sleeping American troops. It was the first insider attack of the Iraq War, and it came from within their own ranks.But that wasn't the only time Bart faced death. He also survived a tense firefight in the Korean DMZ, where North Korean forces opened fire on his patrol during one of the most dangerous standoffs of the Cold War era.From a DMZ shootout in Korea to a fatal betrayal in Kuwait, this is the true story of an American soldier who witnessed war before it even officially began.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video chapters: 00:00 - JSA Gunfire & Tension in Korea01:06 - Early Life & Accidental Recruitment03:16 - Basic Training and Airborne Decision05:40 - Korea Assignment & Sports in the Army07:18 - Becoming a Drill Sergeant at 2309:35 - Female vs Male Trainees in Boot Camp13:28 - Assignment to the Joint Security Area (JSA)16:15 - Thanksgiving Firefight & Chinese Defector20:22 - Casualties & Aftermath in the JSA23:12 - The Old Guard & Tomb of the Unknown Soldier29:22 - Ranger Instructor: Choosing Training Value33:26 - 101st Deployment to Kuwait, 200338:31 - The Night of the Attack Begins41:15 - Searching for the Enemy Within45:42 - Friendly Fire Incident Explained51:24 - The Apprehension of Sergeant Akbar56:13 - Discovering Personal Near-Death Experience1:02:11 - Akbar’s Diary & Radical Motives1:09:00 - Final Thoughts & Emotional Reflection1:17:38 - Message to the World: Embedded Enemy1:33:38 - How to Help: Fight for Purple Hearts#military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories
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Marine TOW Gunner Survives Iraq But Can’t Escape Scars of War
Marine Corps boot camp, combat in Haditha, Iraq, and the chaos, comedy, and cost of it all.Austin Hancock’s story is wild, hilarious, and at times heavy — this episode dives into all of it.We start today's episode of Urban Valor with boot camp madness: grown men in whitey-tighties doing squats, drill instructors weaponizing humor like it’s their MOS, and the kind of military hazing that only makes sense once you’ve been there.But underneath the laughs? IED-ridden convoys, combat stress, and the mental weight that doesn’t go away once the uniform does. Austin gets real about what it's like to go from the gunner's seat in Iraq to trying to figure out life back home — and how brotherhood, dark humor, and a lot of inner work helped him through.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video chapters: 0:00 – Boot camp stories & drill instructor comedy 5:00 – Life as a Marine tail gunner (MOS 0352) 20:00 – Convoy missions in Iraq & dealing with IED threats 30:00 – Brotherhood, fights, and coping with combat stress 40:00 – Coming home & the struggle of reintegration #military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories
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New Infantry Soldier Thrown Straight into the Kill Zone
Army Infantryman Will Jones didn’t get a slow start to his military career.He got thrown into the fire—checking into his first unit mid-deployment… in Baghdad.No stateside prep. No easing in.Just boots on ground, rifle in hand, and mortar fire exploding around him.In this Urban Valor interview, Will shares what it’s like to be a brand new 11B Infantry soldier landing in a war zone without any time to train. His story is one of chaos, trauma, brotherhood, and survival. From Baghdad to Hurricane Katrina relief to a second 15-month deployment in Iraq, this episode is stacked with combat stories, dark military humor, and brutally honest truths about PTSD, reintegration, and what it takes to keep going.If you’re looking for real veteran stories, Iraq war combat footage-style details, and first-hand experience from an infantry soldier in the kill zone, you’re in the right place.👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation.🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well!✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday!Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories.Video chapters: 00:00 – Thrown into Baghdad: Will's First Day01:20 – Life Before Enlisting: Starbucks & 9/1104:47 – Enlisting as Infantry (11B)07:38 – Checking Into Baghdad Mid-Deployment12:26 – First Firefight Experience18:02 – Learning Through Chaos: No Time to Train22:45 – Humor Amid War27:13 – Hurricane Katrina Relief Deployment33:57 – Back to Iraq: Second 15-Month Tour40:18 – Combat, Brotherhood & Daily Threats46:05 – PTSD, Reflection, and Healing53:41 – Advice to Young Veterans57:32 – Urban Valor Mission#military #warstories #urbanvalor #usarmy #warstories
Welcome to Urban Valor, where we hear the stories of our veteran heroes in their own words. Within these vet interviews, you'll hear everything from combat stories, life stories pre/post military, military transition, and everything in between. Our interviews aren't just war stories or combat veteran interviews, but interviews from any military veteran willing to share. Our mission is to educate the masses with what military veterans go through while serving their country and how life has been since their military transition back to civilian life. Join our cause, online community, and show your support for Urban Valor at https://urbanvalor.com
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